Li
BRIE
BOX 334
BRIGHTON + In
Vol. 95, No. 30
*
Doomed?
By WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
One by one, many of Harveys Lake resort busi-
nesses are selling out. First there was Sandy Beach,
followed by Old Sandy Bottom Beach and Hanson's
Amusement Park just a couple years later.
If one could peer into some magic crystal ball, what
kind of future would be revealed for the once busy
lake?
Frank Picchi, Mayor of Harveys Lake, feels the
future of the lake is somewhat hard to determine.
“It’s really hard to say,” Picchi said. “I guess it all
depends on what the remaining businesses do at the
lake. The borough has no funding to bring in business.
I know I would like to see more things like play-
grounds and baseball parks for the children, but as of
yet, I don’t know of any property that’s available for
such projects.”
The lake’s future may very well rest on the
shoulders of area business people. One local business-
man, Joe Paglianite, owner of Joe's Grotto, has
ecome serious about taking on this responsibility.
Joe owns approximately 140 feet of lake front
property adjacent to the Sunset Beach.
“With all the beaches turning to private associa-
tions, there’s no longer any lake-front property for
area visitors,” Joe said. “It’s possible that I may be
able to develop my beach area for visitors. However,
this involves the Sunset Beach Association, so I'm now
sure quite yet what will come about.
“It is in our best interest to see that resorts exist at
the lake,” Paglianite continued. ‘Unless the tide
turns, the idea of outsiders coming here will be non-
existent. It’s a beautiful lake, and the public should
have access to it.
“1 would also like to see more vacation housing at
the lake,” he continued. ‘If someone asks me where
they can spend a night in the area, I have to send
them all the way to Kingston for a motel. As owner of
the Grotto, I'm planning to see if a motel could be
constructed on my property.”
There’s also an ironic twist for those residents who
live in Harveys Lake Borough, but don’t have actual
lakefront property.
All borough residents are required to pay a $300 tax
to the Sewer Authority to help keep the lake free from
pollution. However, if they don’t own lakefront prop-
BMCC donation
Dallas Post/Ed C
to the Back
Lemmond, vice-president,
Eckert, chariperson,
Library Board; Nancy
treasurer, Back Mountain
By PAMELA AARON
Staff Correspondent
The Board of Education of the
Dallas School District appointed a
new junior-senior high school princi-
pal and agreed to meet with mem-
bers of the ARA Food Service Co.
and their union in an effort fo
resolve matters between the two.
Both decisions were made at the
August meeting of the school board
held Monday evening at the school’s
administration building.
Named to the principal position,
which became vacant earlier this
year by the resignation of Daniel
Poorman, was Thomas Cyphers of
Millerstown, Pa. The motion to
appoint Cyphers was made by board
member Donald Jones and seconded
by Al Pisaneschi. Cypher’s salary
will be $33,000 per year.
Nineteen representatives of the
RA Food Service Co., contracted
yy the school district to provide
cafeteria services, attended
Monday’s meeting to discuss collec-
tive bargaining issues that began
when the food service company
announced there would be resched-
uling of various types of employ-
ment duties as well as changes in
scheduling which result in a loss of
hours for some employees. The
ARA employees, however, were
uncertain as to the specifics of
schedule changes and salaries
changes.
Carol Adams, spokesperson for
the group, appealed to board solici-
tor Ben Jones that the actions of the
ARA would entitle the cafeteria
employees to file unfair labor prac-
tice charges, according to ACT 195
of the School Code. Ms. Adams
requested that, in order to avert
such action, board members meet
with ARA on behalf of the cafeteria
employees. Atty. Jones asserted
that the school board should not be
a party to any collective bargaining
(See BOARD, page 8)
By WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
The Dallas Fire and Ambulance,
Inc., recently instituted its annual
fund drive throughout the Dallas
area.
Dallas Fire and Ambulance, Inc.,
is a fairly young company, having
been formed 10 years ago. Before
the unification, two separate compa-
nies existed, in the Dr. Henry M.
Laing Fire Company, established in
1927 and the Dallas Community
Ambulance Association which began
in 1954.
The first fire engine used by the
company, a 1927 chain drive Mack
engine, would be classified as primi-
tive machinery when compared to
the more modern engines used
today.
erty, or don’t belong to one of the various beach
associations, they can’t use the same lake they pay
taxes to keep clean.
The borough now owns no property in which its
citizens can gain access to the lake. In fact, the
borough doesn’t even own the land its building rests
upon : as that property is owned by the Sewer
Authority.
According to Bob DeReemer, however, it didn’t have
to be this way.
DeReemer held the office of council president five
years ago. While he was in office, a parcel of land,
known as the Stonehouse and owned by Helen Scarlet,
was offered to the borough for sale.
Located on the property was a structure which could
have been used for the borough's police department
and meeting rooms. The land also included a large
amount of lakefront property.
“If we had that land, we would now have an access
area to the lake for the public,” said DeReemer. “It
was a shame that we lost it.”
It looked good, for a while at least, that the borough
would purchase the land.
“We obtained a grant for the purchase, and every-
Harveys Lake area
thing was approved,” said DeReemer. ‘However, the
election came then and I lost by 11 votes. A minority
of the people didn’t want to buy the land, but since
they were then in power, the whole deal fell through.”
DeReemer claimed that James McCaffrey, owner
and operator of Old Sandy Bottom Beach, was very
much against the purchase.
“You can see why he was so much against it now,”
exclaimed DeReemer. ‘If we had made that land a
public swimming area, free of charge to the people, he
(McCaffrey) wouldn’t have been able to sell his beach
for as much as he now plans. He knew what he was
doing.”
Another group of people who were against the
purchase was the Harveys Lake Taxpayers Associa-
tion. They claimed taxes would be raised after the
deal went through.
“That was ridiculous,” said DeReemer. “As 1 said
before, everything was approved. We didn’t need any
taxes for the purchase. They (the taxpayers) are
going to have to pay thousands of dollars to use the
beach now, anyway. ar
“As far as the lake’s future is concerned,” added
DeReemer, ‘there aren’t any more resorts left.
By WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
Everyone's heard, ‘Thou shalt not kill’, ‘“Thou shalt
not commit adultry,’”’ and “Honor thy father and they
mother”, but it seems as though a person or persons
in the Harveys Lake area is having trouble with the
eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.”
The question of theft becoming a problem at the lake
is an issue that can be debated indefinitely. Several
citizens feel it is indeed a problem, yet, the police
department and mayor’s office beg to differ.
“We have no more of a problem than any other
resort area,” said Mayor Frank Picchi. ‘Homes are
vacant at the lake Jor a lone time, and we have the
aks, as 8 e nolice.« This makes it
85 when you -¢ compare
s record, no problem
it % Kingston's S or Wilkes arre’s
exists here.”
Asked about the rumor of a lake man waiting with a
shotgun for the thieves, Picchi replied, “I personally
think it’s a total rumor. The fact is that there is no one
sitting on their porch with a gun.”
Lionel Bulford, chief of the Harveys Lake police
department, agrees with the mayor’s viewpoint.
‘As far as thefts and burglaries go, there haven't
been any more this year than any other,” he sa
“We have six men on the depar tment. There's a man
patrolling the area 24 hours a day
Chief Bulford feels property ow ners have to help the
police by taking measures to protect their own
property as well as they can.
“There are things a homeo
wner can do fo better
safeguard his home and property from thefts,”’ Bul-
ford said. “F'or one thing, the 1/call the police and
ask us to watch their home when they’re going to be
away.”
P1
Jim Ward, a resident of Warden
ce, Harveys
in service,” claimed fire chief, Bob
Besecker, “but we generally use it
for parades only.”
The company now owns a 1977
American LaFrance custom diesel
engine, a 1968 Dodge American
LaFrance engine, and a 1953 Ameri-
can LaFrance engine which was
rebuilt in 1983 to the tune of $45,000.
These engines can pump from 750 to
1,000 gallons of water a minute as
opposed to the 1927 Mack engine
Circus
Kiwanis
which can only pump 500 gallons a approxiiaiely
minute. : 3 A total of over
“A lot of the money raised last j
year went toward rebuilding the
= : Be ambulanc
1953 American LaFrance engine,”
said Besecker. ‘“This year we are
purchasing a $55,000 1984 Horton
Modular Ambulance. Hopefully, it
will be delivered around September
10.”
According to Besecker, the
ambulance crew responds to
Lake, disagrees with Mayor Picchi and Chief Bulford.
“Anyone can see that there’s a problem,” said
Ward. “I don’t know what they’re thinking of.”
According to Ward, the alleged theft problem at the
lake has been getting worse and worse for the past
three years. %
“I had an 18 horsepower motor stolen from my
boat,” he said,
motor and boat were stolen.” :
The neighbor mentioned by Ward, is John Weaver,
also a resident of Warden Place. i
According to Ward, Weaver's 25 horsepower motor
had been locked into the boat with a new type of lock.
“They (the burglars) just ripped the motor right out
of the boat,” said Ward. d
Weaver's boat, minus the motor, was recovered the
following morning. However, a few nights later. the
burglars returned and stole the entire boat. ?
“And they say there is no problem?” exclaimed
Ward.
Motors and boats are not the only articles sought by
the burglars. Recently, wicker furniture was taken
from various properties. ;
According to Chief Bulford, after questioning four
suspects, the furniture was recovered. The police,
however, refuse to divulge the names of the suspects. ;
“I was, and still am, angry about that,” said Ward.
‘But, I looked it up, and legally, Chief Bulford doesn’t
have to give their names, because he claims they're
infor mants.
“It’s none of their business who I talked to,” said :
Bulford. “They got their furniture back.” ?
What if, however, a property owner does know the
identity of someone who has tampered with or stolen
their property? What happens then?
According to Bob DeReemer, a Dallas businessman
who onced owned a camping area near Sandy Beach,
(See THEFT, page 8) :
Circus at the
to 500 calls a
2,000 miles hs
is that