cc
Ba ti
ie
'
‘e@round! :
© These quick-
buck schemes
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Senator John
Heinz, chairman of the U.S. Senate
Special Committee on Aging, peri-
odically writes a coluymn for the
aging. This week’s topic is ‘“‘too-
good-to-be-true bargains.’’)
Every Spring, along with the daf-
fodils and crocuses, quick-buck art-
ists renew. their efforts and arrive
on Americans’ doorsteps offering
“too good to be true bargains and
deals.” Those who fall prey to these
schemes too often get ‘nothing for
can take the form g
of a driveway or §&
roofing repair §
man who is will-
ing to make a
or an offer of an
opportunity to
‘‘achieve finan-
cial security’’
through a unique
investment or a new “miracle cure”
which is bringing relief to millions.
No one is immune from these
scams. Several recent surveys have
suggested, however, that the rate at
which these unscrupulous tricksters
are targeting the elderly is on the
increase. They have apparently
learned that older individuals are
often more trusting, that many have
accumulated some life savings, and
a good number are searching for
means to assure financial security.
A Senate Special Committee on
Aging survey showed a staggering
array of fraud, deceit and callous
exploitation--the consequences of
which often amount to small dollar
losses, but a lot of embarrassment
for the elderly consumer. There are
instances of major financial invest-
ments gone wrong as well, with
devastating effects for those living
on fixed or reduced incomes. Medi-
cal frauds are among the most
frightening, -since they can have
drastic physical as well as financial
and emotional impacts.
Combatting fraud is a job for
smarter and tougher consumers.
The Pennsylvania Bureau of Con-
sumer Protection, which last year
along mediated over 20,000 viola-
tions of the state’s Unfair Trade
Practices Act, makes the following
suggestions to help us all avoid
being ‘had’ by these con men.
Get references from previous
clients before you make an invest-
ment or a purchase, particularly
with door-to-door salespeople.
Get a second opinion from a
family member or a friend before
you hand over any money. Quick-
buck artists will prey on an elderly
person’s desire to remain independ-
ent.
Never give your credit card
account numbers over the phone to
callers offering low prices on goods
to be delivered C.0.D.
Don’t be pressured into activing
quickly: ‘take time to check out the
offer and be especially suspicious if
you are asked to keep news of the
‘very special’ deal to yourself.
Shop around, especially if the
transaction requires a large finan-
cial outlay.
Call the Chamber of Commerce or
Better Business Bureau to deter-
mine if the company has a good
track record. Remember--these
groups are in business to help you
so don’t hesitate to use them as a
business reference.
Think twice about dealing with
transient contractors or busienss
people without an established base
in your community.
Don’t hesitate to call the Bureau
of Consumer Protection about your
rights as a consumer; attorneys and
investigators are on hand in seven
regional offices and will be happy to
answer your questions.
Should you believe you have been
deceived or treated unfairly in a
business transaction, contact the
Bureau as soon as possible. Of all
the cases handled by the Bureau
last year, 70 percent were settled to
the satisfaction of the consumer.
And remember, one fraud detected
means several unsuspecting victims
saved from the harrassment of the
quick-buck schemer.
#
Robert Sando, a member of the
Lake-Lehman High School Band has
Pennsylvania Music Educators
Association All-State Band in Pitts-
burgh on April 26, 27 and 28.
Bob was chosen for this honor
through competition at the Regional
Band level. He has been a partici-
pant in Regional and District Bands
for the past two years. He also
participated in the District Orches-
tra Festival this year.
Bob, a senior at Lake-Lehman
High School, plays trombone. He is
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence
Sando of Lake Silkworth. .
“A concert will be given on Satur-
day at 1:30 p.m. at the Syrian
Mosque, Pittsburgh. Guest conduc-
ATTENTION CD BUYERS
11.1%
GUARANTEED
TAX DEFERRED
CALL JOHN HOLLAND
E. F. HUTTON & CO.
COURTHOUSE SQUARE TOWER
~ WILKES-BARRE, PA 18702
WHEN E. F. HUTTON TALKS
PEOPLE LISTEN
bim Mullerin
CARVERTON ROAD * TRUCKSVILLE, PA.
696-2339
%, o*
% 3
v “ NOON ~ on (EXCEPT ge
We're Still Here
We're Still Open
AND THE BEST
ICE CREAM IS
STILL ON
CARVERTON ROAD
By WALLY KOCHER
Statf Correspondent
It’s a long, hard journey on the
road of fame and fortune to reach
Hollywood, California, but that’s the
road Marilyn Walko, 21, of Dallas
has decided to take.
Thanks to the nationally syndi-
cated television show, ‘‘Dance
Fever”, Marilyn may be California-
bound sooner than planned.
Ms. Walko, who has been dancing
as long as she can remember,
thought the audition for the show
would be an ideal way to express
herself in the way she feels most
comfortable.
Along with her dance partner,
Karlton Stevens of Wilkes-Barre,
she appeared in the preliminary
auditions held in the Scranton Ball-
room atthe Hilton at Lackawanna
Station in Scranton. To say they did
well is an understatement.
The couple received a perfect
score on their dance routine which
featured a variety of styles such as,
break dancing, popping, jazz, ballet
and disco to Midnight Star’s song,
“No Parking on the Dance Floor.”
This also entitles them to compete
in the final auditions held at the
Station Complex in Wilkes-Barre on
May 1.
“We were thrilled when we found
out what our scores were,” said
Marilyn. “They told us it was very
rare for a couple to get perfect
scores like we did.”
Marilyn explained.
“We wanted to come up with
something different,”” she said.
‘Everyone in this area seems to go
for disco and disco is fine as long as
it’s done correctly. However, we
thought it would be better for us if
we mixed a lot of different styles
together. I think we have a pretty
decent routine.”
Marilyn admits that she and her
partner only had about eight hours
of practice in total for their first
audition. However, they are now
practicing every chance they get for
the final audition.
**1.7just can’t: waitl’’
exclaimed.
Paul Gilbert, producer of ‘Dance
Fever’, will be among the judges
for the final auditions.
If Marilyn, and Karlton score well
enough at the final auditions, they
will be chosen to travel to Holly-
wood to appear on ‘Dance Fever.”
Once there, they will again com-
pete against couples from all over
the country before being eligible for
the Grand Prix.
The winning couple of the Grand
Prix will share a total of $31,000.
Births
A son to LYNN AND GALEN
MILLER, RD 1, Box 258, Sweet
Valley, on April 14 in Nesbitt Memo-
rial Hospital, Kingston.
A daughter to JOAN AND
ROBERT ROVINSKY, 110 E.
Franklin St., Shavertown, on April
16 in Nesbitt Memorial Hospital,
Kingston.
A daughter to SUSAN AND
ROBERT WALL, 75 Maltby Ave.,
Swoyersville, on April 13 in Nesbitt
Memorial Hospital, Kingston.
A daughter to CINDY AND PAUL
CHOCALLO, RD 4, Box 307E,
Dallas, on April 17 in Nesbitt Memo-
rial Hospital, Kingston.
A daughter to JUNE AND DAVIS
DEFINE, Dallas, on April 15 in
Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kings-
ton.
A son to DENISE AND WILLIAM
she
Valley, on April 18 in Wilkes-Barre
General Hospital.
A daughter to SUSAN AND ROSS
PIAZZA, 101 N. Pioneer Ave., Shav-
ertown, on April 17, in Wilkes-Barre
General Hospital.
A daughter to JUDITH AND
ROBERT HISLOP, 36 Carverton
Road, Trucksville, on April 16, in
Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kings-
ton.
N
By HOWARD J. GROSSMAN
Reams of stories have been pub-
lished over the last three months on
the extent of giardiasis in populated
sections of Northeastern Pennsyl-
vania. Accusations have been made
against organizations and agencies
as to their role or lack thereof, in
the maintenance of facilities,
enforcement ~of laws and ordi-
nances, and general involvement
with water resources or water qual-
ity. Even more so, many surveys
and studies have been accomplished
over the last decade on the subject
of water resources and water qual-
ity such as the Comprehensive
Water Quality Management Pro-
gram (COWAMP) and the various
water related projects and pro-
ment of Environmental Resources,
the Susquehanna River Basin Com-
mission and the Delaware River
Basin Commission.
Lost in the onslaught of blame-
cating and emotions which have
struck the giardiasis issue is the
fact that water resources still repre-
sent a major asset to the economic
future of Northeastern Pennsyl-
and cool heads to ‘examining the
current situation in an orderly
manner, and determine what
courses of action will be beneficial
to the citizens of Northeastern
Pennsylvania, many of whom have
had to face personal hardships in
relation to the current problem.
To examine drinking water condi-
tions in Northeastern Pennsylvania,
the Economic Development Council
Pennsylvania
formed a Water Quality Manage-
ment Task Force chaired by Don
McFadden, an attorney in Wilkes-
Barre. The mission of the Task
Force is to accomplish the follow-
ing:
Northeastern Pennsylvania, its
ment. *
2. Examination of the issues and
an inventory of those issues relating
to the protection of quality of the
drinking water supply in Northeast-
ern Pennsylvania.
3. An inventory of resources,
financial and technical, available to
improve the quality of drinking
vania. Ti
4. Evaluation of the status of
ground water supply in relation to
the quality of drinking water in
Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The Task Force consists of ‘25
citizens and officials throughout the
seven counties of Northeastern
Pennsylvania. Thus, the objective is
to look beyond the current giardi- .
asis impacted area and examine the
entire region. Recommendations
will be made by the Task Force to
the Executive Committee and Board
of Directors of EDCNP. Both verbal
and written comments will be
accepted in the way of information
which the Task Force should consi-
der in relation to its mission. :
One of the Task Force's objec-
tives is to impartially and objec-
tively establish factual information
and interpret such information to
determine what courses of action
are necessary to maintain the high-
est standards of drinking water
possible in Northeastern Pennsyl-
vania. Its relationship to economic
development is clear, as the signifi-
cance of water resources in general i
has always been a strong factor in
determining how economic growth :
takes place. :
Those persons interested in more
information pertaining to the Water
Quality Management Task Force
should write the Economic Develop:
ment Council, 1151 Oak Street, Pitts-
ton, PA 18640-3795.
A six-member bipartisan Senate
Committee, authorized to investi-
gate the availability of safe drinking
water throughout the state, has
scheduled a series of public hear-
ings beginning April 25, 26, and 27 in
the northeastern region and May 4
in the western region.
Senate Committee Chairman,
Frank J. O’Connell (R-Luzernce),
will be joined by Senators David J.
Brightbill (R-Lebanon), Tim Shaffer
(R-Butler), Robert J. Mellow (D-
Lackawanna), Raphael J. Musto
(D-Luzerne), Edward P. Zemprelli
(D-Allegheny).
“The purpose of these hearings
will be to garner as much input as
possible concerning the water con-
tamination crisis as it exists, and to
report back to the full Senate with
our findings and recommendations
to ensure the availability of safe
drinkingwater once again and to
prevent such a crisis from occuring
in the future,” the senators said in a
joint statement.
The April 25, 26, and 27 hearings
will be held at the studios of public
TV station WVIA, located on Old
Boston Road in Pittston. The Apri
125 hearing will be held in the
evening beginning at 6 p.m., while
the hearings on April 26 and 27 will
get underway at 9 a.m. both days.
The May 4 hearings in western
Pennsylvania will be held at the.
McKeesport City Council chambers
beginning at 9 a.m. :
A further hearing is expected to
be conducted at the State Capitol.
The Harrisburg hearing has not yet
been scheduled.
According to the Senate Dt
members of the public will be
allowed to testify and should pro- .
vide the committee with 20 copies of
their testimony and a separate page
summarizing the remarks. Those
persons wishing to testify should
contact Kathleen R. Boone, Counsel
to the Senate State Government
Committee at (717) 787-7428.
PACE program
is underway
Rep. Frank Coslett said today
that application forms for the Phar-
maceutical Assistance Contract for
the Elderly (PACE) program will
be mailed this month. \ k
Rep. Coslett urged constituents
with questions about the program to
contact his office at 1265 Wyoming 3
Avenue, Forty Fort. The telephone ;
number i is 288-3990. 1
is so easy
State 2.8
Or call 675-5211 for assistance. vl
Name
Address
City
2 A Zip.