.
Feminist Issue?
By JANE C. BOLGER
Post Correspondent
A tough fight is predicted in the
five Dallas School
Board Directors with some new
battle lines being drawn just weeks
after the Primary Election. There is
apparently a feminist issue surfac-
ing since the two women candidates
Shawn Murphy and Patricia Greg-
ory, both of when are on the present
school board, were slightly over-
whelmed by the male vote getters
with each of then winning only Spots
on the Democratic ballet. A direct
appeal for women voters to unite is
expected as a result.
Although both will appear on the
Democratic ballot, only Mrs. Greg-
ory is a member of that party with
the results being dictated by candi-
LJ PTA
Resigns
Lehman-Jackson PTA President,
Mrs. Linda Mazur, has regretfully
submitted her resignation, explain-
ing her intent to resign following
\
\
At the May PTA meeting, a new
PTA President was appointed: to fill
Mrs. Mazur’s term. He is Charles
James, the Lehman-Jackson Ele-
mentary School Principal.
In appointing Mr. James as presi-
dent, the past presidents’ of the
organizastion' noted that he was
always supportive of the PTA. The
past ‘presidents noted that having a
school principal as their president is
probably the best form of leadership
available. ¢
Mr. James will continue working
with the current officers. They are
) Mrs. Martha Andrusis, vice-presi-
"dent; Mrs. Paula Walp, Recording
Secretary; Mrs. Louise Schwartz,
Treasurer; and Miss Jane Cornell,
Corresponding Secretary.
Church Plans
Garage Sale
Shavertown United Methodist
Church, corner of Pioneer Ave. and
West Center Street, will hold a
Super Garage Sale on Saturday
June 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the
church social rooms. Items such as
jewelry, knick knacks, baked goods
plants, toys, small appliances, furni-
ture, household items, mans and
women’s accessories and refresh-
Inter
dates cross filing with no party
designation. This points to one of
the other issues coming to light
which seems to be “Find The
Hidden Democrat.” This is a refer-
ence to alleged party switching
among certain other candidates to
appeal to traditional Back Mountain
Republican voters. It seems definite:
that a concerted effort will be made
to inform voters just who is a
Democrat now, who used to be and
why they changed.
Whether this is just not The Year
Of the Incumbent, which was also
apparent in other area election
results, is also being fanned into an
issue since newecomers to the
Dallas School Board made such an
excellent showing. Some feel that
the hefty three year teachers con-
tract voted in by the incumbent
school board directors just weeks
before the election went against
them at the polis. If this is true,
then the same incumbent directors
should be very popular after their
unexpected vote this. wek not to
raise the tax milleage at all. The
minus side of this plus being the
closing of two- elementary schools
and the feelings of some voters in
these neighborhoods.
These issues and maybe more,
such as a reported ‘‘jock eoalition”’,
are becoming apparent but the
deciding factor may still be the pure
mechanics of ballet positions. Only
three of the candidates Harry Sick-
ler, Johnny George and incumbent
Al Pisanescki captured ' spots on
both the Republican and Demo-
cratic ballots.
Sickler, the top vote getter on the
Republican side, also enmassed the
largest total number of votes.
’
By JANE C. BOLGER
Post Correspondent
Since 1977, the decline in the
number of elementary students in
the Dallas School District totals
approximately 393 with the projec-
tion for 1983-84 increasing that
number to 438 elementary students.
These figures are the latest released
in the district by Gerald Wycallis,
superintendent in charge of curricu-
lum in Dallas School District.
This declining enrollment played
a major role in the recent decision
by the board of directors to close
Dallas Elementary, Huntsville
mentary, Oak Lane, Trucksville.
The closing of these two school
buildings will amount to a total
savings of approximately $55,000,
according to Wycallis.
“Closing of Dallas Borough Ele-
mentary will mean a savings of ‘at
least $28,000," said Wyeallis. “It
will cut the cost of fuel, utilities,
maintenanee, secretarial expense
ville building will mean a savings of
about $27,000, again because of the
cut in the cost of fuel, utilities, and
other similar expenses.
“Students from Trucksville will
be transferred to Westmoreland and
students from Dallas Elementary
will be transferred to the Dallas
Township building. Fourth grade
students from both buildings will be
transferred to Dallas Intermediate
where they will be placed in class-
rooms in one wing. This plan will
give the district much more effi-
cient. use of its buildings.”
Wycallis ‘explained that the class
Dotty Martin
RD 3s
Eliminated
If you live in Kingston Township
and your address is now R.D. 3,
Wyoming you will have a new
address effective June 11.
Residents of Mt. Zion Road, Bodle
Road and 8th Street will be dropped
from Rural Delivery Route 3 and
will be required to use their actual
house numbers from now on as well
as an additional line identifying
Kingston Township.
These new house numbers have
been designated under the recently
completed Kingston Township
Addressing Project with official
notification to the homeowners
being provided by the U.S. Post
Office. Mail in that parficular part
of the township formerly called
R.D. 3 is sorted in the Pittston Post
Office and delivered out of Wyo-
ming whereas mail delivery to resi-
dents of shavertown and Trucksville
is sorted in Wilkes-Barre and routed
Office.
The next two areas in Kingston
Township to be effected by the
Addressing Project will be R.D. 5
and R.D. 7.
These two rural delivery areas
are also scheduled to be eliminated
which will mean address changes
for all residents living on Harris
Hill Road, Midway Manor, Crane
Road, Manor Drive and Timothy
Road.
These new address procedures
were planned as a permanent solu-
tion to the continuing cycle of
changing addresses as rural deliv-
ery areas become too large for one
mail carrier to handle.
Another advantage, according to
Kingston Township Manager Mark
Kunkle is that by using a fixed
address better service can be pro-
vided by police, fire, ambulance and
size in nearly all instances will
decrease. According to projections,
grades will be reduced from 25 in
in 1984; second grade
third grade classes will remain
about the same, 27 students in each
third grade; fourth grade will
27 students in 1984. (Wycallis said
this figure would go up whether or
not the schools closed); fifth grade
class size would be reduced from 24
to 22 students in 1984; and sixth
grade from 27 in 1983 to 24 in 1984.
Kindergarten classes, according to
Wyecallis, will remain about: the
same, 22 students in each class.
Wycallis explained that before
any action was taken by the board,
meetings were held with the PTO’s
at both/schools and other interested
parents.
“Contrary to recent reports,” he
said; “There were only two or three
parents at each school who voiced
objections ‘to the closing of the
buildings.
“All of the elementary teachers
will be retained. The only one we
are losing is by attrition,” said
Wycallis. “In all probability retiring
teachers will not be replaced. There
is a possibility that some programs
may be eliminated and only part-
time teachers needed but not at the
elementary level. 1 do not believe
any definite decision has been made
on that subject.”
In answer to the question about
the future of the buildings, Wycallis
said ‘he did not believe the hoard
had made any decision to date,-that
it was a subject to be thoroughly
evaluated. ;
The approximately $55,000
expected to be saved by the closing
of the two buildings combined with
an end of ‘the year balance of
$444,000, an- expected increase in
state subsidies and additional taxa-
ble real estate, encourages the
Dallas School District board of
directors to believe that they can
continue the tax millage at 111, the
same as last year. Director Al
Pisaneschi was absent from the
meeting due to illness. .
In response to the question
whether or not a millage increase
would be necessary for the school
year 1984-85, Wycallis stated that
was impossible to predict.
“All school districts are in the
same predicament,” he said. “No
one knows what the economy or
school financing situation will be a
year from now. The best we can do
is deal with what we have and know
now.”’ 3
The $444,000 balance amounts to
nearly 14 mills. According to Dallas
Business Manager Sandra Rohr-
bach, the balance includes money
owed to the district for a three-year-
old state transportation subsidy, a
non-estimated reimbursement from
the Westmoreland School project,
$143,000 in salaries saved in legal
services and $100,000 earned from
increased investments.
The 1983-84 expenditures are
projected at $8,824,096 or an
inerease of 24.9 percent over the
1982-83 budget of $8,608,000. Aeccord-
cated ‘for administrative increases
in salaries.
Dotty. Martin, of Forty Fort, has
been named Associate Editor of the
Dallas Post, as was recently
announced by Rick Shannon, Asso-
ciate Publisher and Editor.
Martin, 28, is a graduate of Wyo-
ming Area High School and a 1977
graduate of Wilkes College where
she received a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in English with a concentra-
tion in Journalism.
The daughter of Mr. David Martin
of Forty Fort and the late Kathryn
Martin, Martin began her newspa-
CHILDREN PERFORM -
‘per career at the Sunday Dispatch
where she served as sportswriter
and general assignment reporter for.
five years. Following a year-long
stint as Public Relations Direetor
for the Luzerne County Unit of the
American Cancer Society, she was
most recently employed as a sports-
writer and copy editor for The
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.
Martin’s duties at the Dallas Post -
will include responsibility of the.
editorial content of the newspaper.
contemplates the idea of
photo)
The Fairmount Twp. Vol. Fire Co.
will be holding its annual bazaar
June 17, 18 and 19.
The bazaar will begin on Friday
evening at 6 p.m. with plenty of
good food, including homemade hal-
ushki, bean soup, piergioes, potatoe
pancakes and many others.
“The Cadillac Cowboys’ will
entertain from 8-11 p.m.
Area chain saw competitors will
compete to see who is the fastest
The annual Fire Men’s Parade
will begin at 6 p.m. followed by a
log sawing competition. Trophies
will then be awarded. :
“Legend” will entertain from 8-11"
p.m. ;
Horseshoe Throwing Competition,
open to both men and women, will
begin Sunday at 3 p.m.
“The Cadillac Cowboys” will
entertain from 6-9 p.m. and at 9:30
p.m., all winners will be anounced.