THT envy
BOX 336,
BRIGHTON,
EXCH
SAL NEWS, a
£52 Ramona Lay
4
{thoi i
NG DL NEWSPAPER 7
7
OUNDATIO
1979-1980
Yol.90 No. 36,
>
No definite decision has been
reached on the fate of the
treacherous stretch of Route 309
between Center Street and Franklin
Kunkle.
At a marathon meeting held by
the Kingston Township supervisors
Wednesday, Sept. 17, the results of
the $10,780 traffic study commission
by the supervisors last October
were reported. The study included
four solutions to safety in the area
which has had more than its share
of accidents.
A young boy was killed in the area
under study during the summer of
1979. Following the fatality,
pressure was brought to bear on
Kingston Township officials to find
a solution to the dangerous settion
of the highway.
At an emotionally- -charged
meeting in August, 1979, it was
recommended that a medial strip
be installed as a deterrent to further
serious pedestrian and vehicular
mishaps.
This recommendation brought
opposition from the businessmen in
the area. A second meeting was
| held by the supervisors with both
residents and business people
nh
Sen. Frank ‘O'Connell, who at*
tended the meeting, suggested that
the township engage a private firm
to do a study and let the chips fall
where they may.
Following last week’s meeting, it
appears that it is back to the
drawing board for the firm of
Michael Baker of Harrisburg, who
attended the meeting designed to
gather input from the residents.
Baker stated that ‘this meeting is
for you people to tell me how it is
because I don’t live here.”
The proposals offered were
curbing of the entrances to the
shopping areas, allowing 35 feet
openings in place of the larger ones
which now exist; a medial strip 32
inches high, similar to the one on
Route 309 south in Mountaintop and
the one now being constructed on
the Cross Valley Expressway.
The firm also offered the
suggestion that the state construct a
middle lane making that section of
Route 309 a five lane highway. The
middle lane would be used only for
lefthand turns.
Kunkle verified the fact that there
is adequate room for an additional
lane. :
A six-lane road also was
discussed during the meeting which
was attended by approximately 60
persons including Frank Phillips,
Sen. O’Connell’s administrative
assistant; Ray Rakomski of Penn-
dot; Tony DeAngelo, safety
engineer of PennDOT; and Rep.
The fourth proposal was to leave
the highway exactly as it is but
define entrances with curbing. All
the proposals included curbing.
A member of the audience sug-
gested that an intersection be
created between Main Street and
the area of the post office on Route
309. The proposed intersection
would include a four-way stop light
and pedestrian-operated box as well
as provisions for left hand turns.
However, officials from Wyoming
National Bank, Shavertown,
reported that the bank will be
closing the area from Route 309 to
Main Street to install drive-in
windows. The land is located bet-
ween Cook’s Drug Store, formerly
Evans Rexall, and the bank.
Bank officials indicated they are
not in favor of an intersection as
they believe the drive-in area would
be used by motorists as a short cut
from Route 309 to Main Street.
A Kingston Township official,
closely involved with the problem,
believes that a stop light would
encourage commuters to avoid the
light by traveling to Dallas via
Pioneer Avenue, a residential area.
A light at Franklin Street met
with approval but residents realize
that it will not control pedestrian
traffic below that intersection. The
crosswalk was ruled out as it would
have to be graded upwards for older
persons. It cannot be a straight-
considered.
Initially PennDOT agreed to try
to go along with safety changes
when they were definite. The Baker
study, however, may: change that
decision since the study showed that
there is not sufficient volume of
traffic for state intervention.
Other unrelated safety measures
have been dropped in Kingston
Township in the past when the state
determined there wasn’t sufficient
volume of traffic to warrant them.
Mrs. Carolyn Bulford believes
that the $10,000 study lacked fin-
dings to help promote the safety of
the pedestrian, who is left to fend
for himself. She does believe, how-
ever, that a light directly across
from the post office (left hand turn)
would have helped pedestrians.
Mrs. Bulford has almost single
handedly taken on the cause of safe
driving and pedestrian conditions
on the accident-prone strip of high-
way.
The economics along with the
feedback gathered at the meeting
will be considered for the final
proposal, according to Kunkle, at a
meeting to be held between Oct. 20
and Oct. 24. At that time the final
proposal may or may not be ac-
cepted. The final decision rests with
PennDOT.
Contrary to recent published
reports, Mrs. Bulford was not in-
sirumental in getting the township
to pay for the study. Mrs. Bulford
played a key role in demanding that
the supervisors do something about
the hazardous area of Route 309.
The $10,000 study was suggested
by Sen. O’Connell at the second
meeting of the supervisors last fall.
“More positive action’ is being
taken on the Powderhorn sewer
installation proposal by the Dallas
Area Municipal Authority (DAMA)
and residents were present at the
monthly meeting of Dallas Borough
Council to obtain council’s feelings
regarding a cooperative venture
with DAMA.
Resident Bill Tabor asked council
if it would restore roads following
sewer installation. After discussion,
it was generally agreed that council
will review plans of DAMA prior to
final approval, but most likely they
will cooperate as they did in the
past with Stonehedge - Marabee
Ave. extension.
Council estimates the cost of road
restoration at less than $10,000 with
700 ft. of surface involved.
Follwing the council meeting, a
DAMA official on Monday outlined
the latest plan under discussion for
Powderhorn.
Roy F. Weston, consulting
engineers, is putting together a
design which would serve 19 homes
through a ‘‘no frills” pumping
station to be installed on
Powderhorn Drive. It is a ‘package
pump station’’, already factory
made which is then put into the
ground. Cost is a minimum $20,000-
$25,000 for this proposed feature.
The only ‘drawback’ with this pre-
fabricated pump station is the
number of extras with which the
state DER will require it be
equipped. DAMA hopes to install a
minimum pump station due to
financial reasons.
Residents should not construction
will not begin ‘‘immediately’’ as
there are many loose ends and
agencies with which to deal.
However, it was stated that
DAMA will come up with some
solution.
Total cost depends on what extras
must be included, but the job could
cost as little as $75,000 or as much
as $100,000.
As of now, the authority engineer,
Bruce Hartman, is meeting with
DER officials regarding the
project.
This will be the first DAMA
project requiring a pumping station
and another will follow when
taken.
DAMA’s chairman, R. Spencer
Martin, noted with apprecition the
fact that the borough has helped
restore roads in the past as has
Dallas Township at New Goss
Manor.
Dallas Borough secretary Ralph
Garris said the cost will be deter-
mined by borough road specs.
Other business included the
appointment of Richard Owens to
the planning commission and Louis
Katchko ‘to the zoning hearing
board.
A letter was read sent to the
council from Powderhorn, Machell
Avenue and Orchard Street
residents complaining of excessive
noise from motorbikes and snow-
mobiles.
Chief Edward Lyons said he was
informed of this by letter in July
and spoke with young people in the
area described. Lyons said the
problem lessoned somewhat.
However, if any more complaints
are received, other action wil be
taken.
Secretary Ralph Garris will
stating the municipality has no
specific limitations in zoning
regarding taxicab parking for short
intervals when buses arrive in the
boro. The letter was requested by
Basil Lord.
The revitalization project was
reviewed at a special session
Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Dallas
Borough building.
Mark Moran)
On Friday, Sept. 26 and Saturday,
Sept. 27, the Back Mountain
Jaycees will hold a Grand Old
Country Auction featuring new,
used and live items,
One of the highlights of the
auction will be the auctioning off a
Motron bike. It gets over a hundred
miles to a gallon, while providing
quick and easy transportation for
the person who wants to reduce gas
bills.
. The auction will be held at the
Dallas Twp. Elementary School,
Church Street, Dallas, located
behind the Dallas Motel.
In addition to the Motron, a new
rocker recliner, reconditioned color
A survey of local school directors,
Pennsylvania School Boards
Association magazine, finds the
problems facing the state’s
The report, covering almost 40
percent of the state’s 4,500 board
members found that Pennsylvania
school directors come from widely
diversified backgrounds; represent
a broad public interest in their
communities; spend more of their
personal time on school board
aia
_ Temple Country Club.
activities; and one of their most
standing the mounting state and
federal paperwork and regulation.
The state survey, conducted by
the Pennsylvania School Board
Association determined that 66 per-
cent of board members spend 16-26
hours per month on school business.
According to Joseph Oravitz, PSBA
director of research and manage-
ment services for the typical
director this time “is equivalent of
two and half working days per
month or 30 days per year devoted
to unpaid, volunteer service as a
board member.”
The experience level has slipped
since the last survey conducted in
1976. The 1980 survey indicates that
almost two-thirds of the directors
have four years of board service or
less. In 1976, about 50 percent of the
directors had served less than four
years. Only 14 percent reported
having more than 10 years ex-
perience.
“The experience level is signi-
ficant because it reflects the impact
of changing the school directors
term by the legislature in 1978 from
six to four years.”
“It also reflects the difficulty of
the job and the increasing lack of
support that state agencies and the
legislature provide local officials in
the wake of increased strike ac-
tivity and mounting union pressure
at the state and local level,” Oravitz
stated.
The survey found that the profile
of the local school director appears
to be a male caucasian whose
political party preference is
Republican; married; two children
who attended or are attending
public schools; a college graduate
with two to four years of board ser-
vice who spends about 16 to 26 hours
per month on local school activities.
Five of the Dallas School District
supervisors have served on the
board for six years or more,
Richard Hislop, Ernest Ashbridge,
Pat Gregory, Harry Lefko and Earl
Fritzges. Lefko is the longest
serving member having been on the
board for 13 years. Gloria Brennan
is in her fifth year as a board
member. Russell Havey, Mahmoud
Fahmy and Basil Russin are in
their first terms.
All have had at ]east two children
who have attended Dallas Schools,
with the exception of Russin who
has pre-school children. With the
exception of Russin, the lone
Democrat, the remaining board
members are Republican. The
Dallas School Board is in accord-
ance with the state ratio of 20 per-
cent women board members to 80
percent male board members. The
general consensus seemed to be
that the state ratio of 16-26 hours
spent on school business was
correct although some instances
such as developing the budget and
The Dallas School Board mem-
bers are diversified in their oc-
cupations. Richard Hislop is a tool
and dye maker:
secretary; Gregory is a house-
keeper; Fritzges is a sales
representative as is Lefko. Ash-
bridge is vice-president and con-
troller of a bank; Fahmy is a
professor; Russin is and attorney
and Havey is a vice president of
marketing.
At Lake-Lehman, Ken Williams,
Gilbert Tough, Don Jones, Arnold
Garinger, Angelo DeCesaris, Ed
Mark and Paul Crockett have
served five ‘years or more.
Crockett, a long standing board
member, has been on the board
over 30 years. Alan Sorchik and
Alan Keiper are each serving their
first term.
All board members with the
exception of Keiper, who has pre-
school children and Sorchik who has
no children, have at least two
children attending the Lake-
Lehman schools. Crockett, Keiper,
Sorchik, Garinger, Jones and Tough
are Republicans, DeCesaris is
Brennan is a
(Photo by
Y, live piglets, a new black and
hite TV, leather purses, children’s
noes, office equipment including
desks, filing cabinets, typewriters,
calculators, water skis, gardening
equipment, antiques galore, dinner
certificates, and much more will be
sold.
Refreshments will be served by
the Back Mountain Jay-C-ettes.
Come out and enjoy two days of
fun and savings...Old Fashion Flair
at old fashion prices...an antique
lover’s paradise.
The Grand Old Country Auction,
Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m.
and Saturday, 2 p.m. until all the
items are auctioned.
cross file. CE i
Although there are no women on
the Lake-Lehman school board at
the present time, prior to the last
the board for a number of years. =
As in the state survey over 50 per-
cent of the board members of both
Lake-Lehman and Dallas are
college graduates. Members of the
Lake-Lehman School Board seemed
in agreement with Dallas Board
members concerning the amount of
hours spent on school business.
Lake-Lehman board members
also are diversified in their oc-
cupations. Garinger and DeCesaris
are professors. Mark is a
psychologist. Crockett is retired.
Williams is a farmer. Keiper is a
superintendent of a construction
company. Sorchik is a parts and
service manager. Jones is a law
enforcement officer. Tough is vice-