By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staft Correspondent
The lack of publicity concerning the recent
death of Robert Stair of Dallas by a self-
inflicted gunshot wound has brought questions
as well as various rumors from members of
the Back Mountain community.
The late Robert Stair, according to Dallas
Township Chief of Police Carl Miers, was
found dead in a car shortly after 3 a.m. on
Tuesday, Jan. 15. Stair’s body was found
outside of the Dallas Township Municipal
Building by Patrolman Elliott Ide. According
to County oroner Dr. George E. Hudock, the
victim died of a self-inflicted shot gun wound.
Miers said that police had narrowed the
time of Stair’s death to approximately 10 p.m.
on Monday, Jan. 14. According to police, the
car in which his body was found was parked
along: the side of the township building and,
because there was a meeting in the township
building Monday night and auditors were in
the building, people who saw the parked car
thought it was one that belonged fo someone
still in the building.
Since the patrol car does not circle the
building, it was only natural that the police-
man on duty would not notice the parked car.
Miers explained that when the cruiser comes
in, the officer driving pulls in front of the
building then backs along the front side of the
building heading out toward the Plow.
One of the persons in the building Monday
night said he had heard a noise somewhere in
the vicinity of 10 and 10:30 p.m., but thought
it was a car lackbining, on the highway in
front of the municipal building. Miers said
such backfiring happens frequently along
Route 309.
Contrary to reports in the Back Mountain
area, the police chief reported that no drugs
were found in the car, which was a vehicle
allegedly stolen by Stair. The car was owned
by. obert Volker of 25 Pace St., Larksville,
who had it parked outside of a store in
Larksville. Courtdale police chased the stolen
yenide to Kingston, but were unable to stop
air. :
A report that Stair had two shotgun shells,
one of which was meant for a Dallas patrol-
man who had charged Stair in the past and
was responsible for his arrest and time spent
in prison, could not be confirmed by Police
Chief Miers.
Vol. 96, No. 1
BOX 336
wea srnnt a
cance
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
Parents, who thought there should
have been a delayed start or cancel-
lation of classes in Back Mountain
schools last Thursday or who are
questioning the cancellation of
school during the early part of this
week due to bitter cold tempera-
tures, are probably unaware of the
difficulty in making such decisions.
The heavy snowfall which
occurred’ on Thursday, Jan. 17,
came between the hours of 6:30
am. and 8 a.m. Those persons
going to work prior to 6:30 a.m. had
little difficulty on the highways.
In answer to. the question as fo
why Lage-Leiiman Sehooi Districy
did not have a delayed start cor
cancellation of ciasses, Dr. David
Preston, superintendent, explained
the reason is the element of time.
Because of the fact that all radio
and television stations have to be
contacted before a certain time by
the districts, school officials must
make a decision ‘before 6 a.m.
Preston said the conditions as
reported to him and to assistant to
the superintendent, Anthony Mar-
chakitis, did not warrant closing or
delayed start.
“Iwas up. at 5:30: a.m.’
explained Dr. Preston. “At that
time there was only an inch and a
half of snow on the ground. I
checked with Mr. Marchakitis and
he confirmed about the same
amount on the ground, so we
decided to go ahead with the regu-
lar starting time and get the stu-
dents in early.”
The storm picked up after that
time and, by 7:30 a.m., too late to
call the media, Channel 16 had
upped its predictions from one to
two inches to three to six inches.
Dr. Preston explained that school
officials have only a narrow period
of time to make phone calls and
aot geo tirigh (ote stations i
they waif fou long. He said he
checked the snow at 4:30 a.m. and
was up again at 5:30 to check
ouiside.
He also stated that when he came
in from Lake Silkworth, Route 29
was plowed and Route 118 was
plowed and trucks were still ‘plow-
ing. Preston said that some of the
buses going down Route 309 to West
Side Tech, Bishop O’Reilly and
(See STUDENTS, page 8)
Qa
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25 Cents
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inter fun!
Pat He
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Panelists discuss pros and cons
portion of the Poconos he includes
in his proposal for casino gambling
includes areas of five counties. He
advocates control of gambling by a
control commission and enforce-
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
A panel of four guests, moderated
>
Kiwanians gather py Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Shown here are members of the Dallas and Back Mountain Kiwanis Clubs as they gather to
celebrate the 70th anniversary of Kiwanis International. From left, first row, Paul Selingo, first
vice president, Dallas Kiwanis; Gus Faerber, publicity chairman, Back Mountain Kiwanis;
Richard Alters, treasurer, Back Mountain Kiwanis; Jim Snyder, secretary, Back Mountain
Kiwanis. Second row, Bill Kalinowski, second vice president, Dallas Kiwanis; Peter G. George,
president, Dallas Kiwanis; Reese E. Pelton, Lieutenant Governor, Division 15 Kiwanis; James J.
Larson, president, Back Mountain Kiwanis; and Philip Neiman, vice president, Back Mountain
Kiwanis.
® Kiwanis notes 70 years
‘Enthusiasm makes the difference’
by Bill Bachman, stated their posi-
tions on légalized casino gambling
in Pennsylvania at a public forum
held last Saturday night before a
sparse audience at the Trucksville
United Methodist Church.
State Representative Thomas
Tigue of Hughestown and Paul
Lauer, executive director of Luz-
erne County Tourist Promotion
Agency, spoke out in favor of casino
gambling, while Luzerne County
District Attorney Robert Gillespie
and Rev. Thomas Richard, pastor of
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Tan-
nersville, spoke out against gam-
bling.
Rep. Tigue stated he was in favor
of casino gambling in the Poconos,
but by local option such as is now
the case throughout Pennsylvania
relative to alcoholic beverages. The
ment agency, both under the direc-
tion of the State Attorney General.
Tigue also pointed out that casino
gambling would mean employing
more people, explaining that the
Atlantic city Casinos employ thou-
sands of people.
Tigue also said that in the new
session of the House, the represent-
atives will bé taking a hard look at
dog racing, video poker machines
and other forms of gambling.
Lauer stated that he favored
casino gambling because it would
be a positive force for tourism, but
it should be subject to local option
and not just in the Poconos where
they favor only slot machines.
He said he believed it would: aid
employment, bring in additional tax
revenues and give Pennsylvania
defense against those states now
By DOTTY MARTIN
Editor
“Enthusiasm Makes The Differ-
ence.”
And enthusiasm is the key to an
organization that has been as suc-
cessful as Kiwanis International for
the past 70 years. Kiwanis, an
international service organization
with over 9000 members in the state
of Pennsylvania alone, is celebrat-
ing its 70th anniversary this week,
Jan. 20-26.
In conjunction with this celebra-
tion, Kiwanis has adopted the
slogan ‘Enthusiasm Makes The Dif-
ference.” EMTD pins on the lapels
of Kiwanians distinguishes them as
members of this worldwide service
organization.
Celebrating right along with
Kiwanians both nationwide and
internationally, are our very own
area Kiwanis Clubs.
The Dallas Kiwanis Club, led this
year by club president Peter G.
George, is 58 years old while the
Back Mountain Kiwanis Club, with
Jim Larson as president, is rather
new, having been in existence for
eight years.
The Dallas Kiwanis Club meets
every Wednesday evening at the
Irem Temple Country Club while
the Back Mountain Club is a break-
fast club, meeting every Saturday
morning at Franklin’s Restaurant in
Dallas.
Dallas’ own Reese Pelton serves
as Lieutenant Governor for a
Kiwanis District within Luzerne and
Lackwanna Counties, directing over
600 Kiwanians.
Kiwanis Clubs are the parent
sponsor of high school Key Clubs as
well as collegiate Circle K Clubs.
According to Pelton, every high
school within Luzerne County, with
the exception of Bishop Hoban has a
Key Club. And, he says, plans are
(See KIWANIS, page 8)
i . : . Dallas Post/Charlot M. Denmon
Discussing gambling
A panel of four invited guests conducted a public forum on
the topic of legalized casino gambling in Pennsylvania last
Saturday at the Trucksville United Methodist Church. Bill
Bachman, PG&W public information director, was moderator
of the discussion. Members of the panel, above, from left,
are State Rep. Thomas Tigue, Hughestown; Paul Lauer,
Luzerne County Tourist Promotion Agency Director, Bach-
man; Rev. Thomas Richards, St. Paul's Lutheran Church,
Tannersville; and Luzerne County District Attorney Robert
Gillespie. Tigue and Lauer spoke in favor of gambling,
Richards and Gillespie against the issue.
considering legalized casino gam-
bling. Lauer indicated that since
many people gamble legally or ille-
gally, it should be made legal to
satisfy the demand of the people.
Both ‘Lauer, and Tigue stated that
Atlantic City has become the No.
One Vacation spot in the country.
Gillespie said he was against
legalized casino gambling and that
although the Poconos were not in
Luzerne County and construction
was in’ Pike and Carbon County,
Wilkes-Barre and Scranton are the
largest cities and he believes: that
casino gambling will bring
increased: prostitution and. armed
robbery to these two cities:
Gillespie said that every year 700
to 800 billion dollars of U.S. money
goes to South America in drug
trafficking, but he doesn’t advocate
selling drugs because South. Amer-
ica does; therefore, he doesn’t advo-
cate casino gambling beeause Penn-
sylvanians go to Atlantic City. He
said he-didn’t want his children to
grow up in Atlanti¢- City atmos-
phere.
“Rev. Richards, who has been
spearheading a drive against gam-
bling in the Poconos for the past two
years, said he believes in the work
ethic and he does not believe Penn-
sylvanians depend on luck or games
of chance. He said he thinks it is a
joke that legislators believe they
can write foolproof legislation,
“Who oversees tournaments in the
bars?’’, “Who protects owners and
(See GAMBLE, page 8)
Inside The Post
Calendar ..............
Commentary ........ . 4
Cookbook ............... 5
Obituaries ............. 3
People ..................0
School .................. 12
Sports ............ 9,10,11