Weiss’ feel left out
By JOHN F. KILDUFF
Staf Writer
After 32 years of peaceful living in Dallas Borough,
Edward and Bernadine Weiss of Elizabeth Street have
found themselves victims of an unexplained string of
vandalism attacks spanning a 13-month period. Inci-
dents ranging from bags of paint thrown on their
homes’ aluminum siding, smashed windows, egg
throwing and shrubbery damage have been reported
to Dallas police officers. The Weiss’ and Dallas police
officials have become frustrated over the fact that no
suspects, to date, have been located. The Weiss’ now
are planning to offer a $500 reward forinformation
leading to the arrest and conviction of the vandals.
However, in planning for the $500 reward, the Weiss’
officials, who the Weiss’ say have become complacent
and disinterested. Dallas Borough officials say the
Weiss’ are wrong and that they (borough officials) are
interested. “I just can’t explain how frustrating this
whole situation has been,” Bernadine Weiss said. “It
just seems that they (Dallas police) don’t want to be
bothered with the whole thing.” Mrs. Weiss said she
and her husband Edward have repeatedly mentioned
to Dallas Borough Mayor Paul Labar and Police Chief
Ed Lyons that they would like to offer a reward, but
have gotten nowhere with their requests. Said Berna-
dine Weiss, “I think they (police) feel that if a reward
is published in the paper they will be ‘bothered’ with
phone calls.” Mrs Weiss said she thinks the vandalism
problem should also be Dallas Borough’s vandalism
problem. “Chief Lyons should be concerned with our
problem,” Mrs. Weiss said. ‘Our problem is his
problem. After all, it is our tax dollars that are
helping to pay his salary.” Chief Lyons, commenting
on the allegation that his department is not concerned
with the Weiss vandalism problem, said, “If it is true
that the Weiss’ said we are not concerned with the
problem, then it is a downright insult and a fabrica-
tion.” According to Lyons, he and Mayor Paul Labar
have, on numerous occassions, personally visited the
Weiss residence offering to help. Lyons said that he
has even ordered extra patrols near the Weiss
residence. “An officer has responded on every call
they have placed,” Lyons said. “I’ve even had extra
police patrols just for them to try to help.” Lyons said
he has not been approached by the Weiss’ to officially
request information on offering a $500 reward. Accord-
ing to Lyons, the Weiss’ have “only talked about it.”
“If they are set on offering a reward,” said Lyons,
“then they should come to us and tell us.” Lyons says
he is not aware of any ‘“‘special”’ procedure the Weiss’
would have to follow to have the reward offered
through the police department, but that he would look
into it. “They (Dallas police) have known about the
reward right from the beginning,” Ed Weiss said. “My
wife and I have talked with councilman Tim Carroll
about it and he said we would have to go through the
police department.” Councilman Carroll said Friday
afternoon that he became involved with the Weiss
vandalism problem after repeated calls for assistance
from the Weiss’. “It seems like no one is trying to
communicate,” Carroll said. ‘I have been looking into
the problem and have been talking to the mayor. We
are concerned and feel real bad for the Weiss family.
We hope we catch the vandals soon.” Carroll said he is
also unaware of what procedure the Weiss’ would have
to take to offer the reward, but that he would do all he
could help. Said Mayor Paul Labar, “If a reward is
going to be offered by the Weiss’, I guess they should
let the public know (publish them in a newspaper).
More or less, that is up to them.” Labar said he and
the police department are very concerned with the
vandalism problem and that they have not washed
their hands regarding the issue. ‘When you are a
victim in situations like this,” Labar explained, “you
sometimes tend to feel like no one is doing anything to
solve your problem. I do not think the police depart-
ment has washed their hands of this problem,” Labar
said. “We intend to answer all calls.” The Weiss’ have
had over 20 vandalism incidents since May of 1984.
According to Ed Weiss, when the vandals are caught
they will be prosecuted. ‘My wife has gotten sick over
this whole thing,” Ed Weiss said. “I definetely intend
to prosecute. After 13 months of this, (vandalism)
everyone involved will be prosecuted and sued.”
ry
BRIGHTON RINDERY 00
BOX 53s
Wad
BRIGHTON. Io
6
Vol. 96, No. 30
Could fire
have been
prevented?
By JOHN F. KILDUFF
Staff Writer
When the subject of the tragic fire
at the Thomas’ Guest Home in
Sweet Valley comes up, invariably
the most asked question is ‘‘What
could have been done to prevent the
fire?”
Have Pennsylvania state agen-
cies, in charge of inspecting and
licensing boarding homes, provided
the needed regulations to safeguard
boarding home residents? This
question is undoubtedly difficult to
answer, but it needed to be asked in
the aftermath of the July 23 blaze
which fook the lives of eight resi-
dents and injured, 12 others.
The Dallas Post sought to find an
answer to this question by asking
state agencies in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey and New York whether
or not additional fire safety equip-
ment, namely sprinkler systems,
are needed.
“We are always looking at ways
to improve the safety of buildings in
the state of Pennsylvania,” said
Lynn Boyer, Deputy Press Secre-
tary of the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Labor and Industry. “Sprin-
kler systems, however, have
historically been used to save prop-
erty, not lives.”
Pennsylvania Department of
Labor and Industry is the initial
agency which inspects prospective
boarding homes for minimun safety
requirements. Upon passing a PDLI
inspection, a boarding home owner
then applies for an operating license
through the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Public Welfare.
Asked if PDLI is planning to
make safety regulation changes
after the Thomas fire, Boyer said,
“At this time, there are no immedi-
ate plans in the works for making
sprinkler systems mandatory. We |
should, however, and we will take a
look at that issue,” Boyer said.
According to Boyer, the PDLI
must first wait for the final investi-
gation report from fire officials.
Until an official explanation is
offered as to how the fire could have
been avoided, little can be done on
the state level, Boyer said.
“We do not know as of yet,
whether our safety regulations are
inadequate,” Boyer said. ‘Just like
everyone else, we have to wait to
hear the final result of the investi-
gation. If we find that our regula-
tions, currently in place, did not
work, Boyer said, then we will be
the first to change them.”
Boyer did acknowledge that the
high cost of installing a sprinkler
system in a boarding home, is a
major factor in determining mini-
mum safety requirements.
“Sprinkler system costs are
always a consideration when you
are looking at minimum require-
ments,” said Boyer. “Of course,
lives are very important when con-
sidering new regulations, too.”
Boyer said the problem lies with
the size of the home. Some boarding
homes, Boyer said, house only two
or three residents. Others house as
many as 30.
“You have to be fair to boarding
home owners,” Boyer said. ‘‘Some-
times, it may not be feasible to
install a sprinkler system.”
ta
SLI
ivy
%
The state of New Jersey, how- Li 4 ou : 1
ever, requires all three-story board-- re p— Dalles Post/Ed Campbell
ing homes with 21 or more residents Convinced!
to install sprinkler systems. Sprin-
klers are required in all rooms,
except bedrooms. Two-story and
single-story homes, however, are
not required to have sprinklers.
In addition, New Jersey requires
all boarding homes with six or more
residents to install emergency light-
ing systems near all exits. A com-
(see FIRE, page 10)
a ka in 5
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
25 Cents
may be
in court
By JOHN F. KILDUFF
Staff Writer
If current sentiments among
Kingston Township officials, as well
as those of residents along Bunker
Hill Road, remain the same in
regard to John Brdaric’s request for
a Class 1 Demolition Landfill
permit, the two combatants may
find themselves clashing in court
for years.
According to Kingston Township
manager Fred Potzer, the township
has already spent approximately
$4,700 on legal fees and road testing
and repair along Bunker Hill Road,
resulting in last week’s injunction
issued by Luzerne County Court
Judge Patrick Toole.
The injunction, which was sought
by Kingston Township in order to
stop John Brdaric from allegedly
operating a Class 1 Demolition
Landfill on his property located at
230 Bunker Hill Road, was granted
until either Kingston Township
changes its zoning ordinace relating
to Brdaric’s property from conser-
vation to mining or until Luzerne
County Court decides whether or not
the zoning ordinace is illegal.
“I’m confident we (Kingston
Township) will stand on our current
zoning ordinance,” Potzer said.
“We have spent a great deal of time
and money on this situation and we
will continue to spend money on it.”
Potzer said that Kingston Town-
ship does not hold any animosity
toward Brdaric and his request for
a mining zoning ordinance. Potzer
said the issue is strictly ‘‘a matter
of zoning.” :
The zoning ordinance Potzer
referred to is the June 1975 zoning
ordinance enacted by the Kingston
Township Board of Supervisors. The
ordinance, which Brdaric is appeal-
ing to Luzerne County Court,
defines the Township’s land use
priorty.
The ordinance states that the
Township’s land use priority is to,
“promote, protect and facilitate the
health and safety of Township resi-
dents.” Brdaric’s land is currently
zoned conservation, which prohibits
any type of mining on the land.
Brdaric and his attorney Charles
Shaffer are appealing the ordinance
claiming that an earlier ordinance
allowed for strip mining activity.
Brdaric also claims that he is not
dumping any illegal material on his
land. Brdaric said in court last
week that he has been excavating
on his land in order to construct a
“Holding Pond” for run-off water.
Potzer said that in speaking with
a number of township supervisors,
he has found them to be ‘extremely
pleased and satisfied with the
court’s injunction decision.” The
township’s planning Commission
heard Brdaric’s request for a zoning
change in December of 1983.
Brdaric was subsequently denied
a zoning change and he filed a
zoning appeal early in 1984 in Judge
Bernard Brominski’s Luzerne
County Court of Common Pleas. The
(see ZONING, page 10)
Educating people about day-to-
day happenings in their neighbor-
hood and teaching vitally important
safety habits were the major
themes this past Saturday when the
Dallas Borough Crime Watch pro-
gram launched its first ‘Safety
Day” at Gate of Heaven grade
school, Dallas.
The ‘Safety Day”’, which included
equipment demonstrations from the
Pennsylvania .State Police, Dallas
Borough Police and Nesbitt Memo-
rial and Mercy Hospitals, was con-
ducted from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday
afternoon and coordinator Polly
Michael says it was a big success.
“I thought it was, for the first
time, very ' successful,”’ said
Michael. ‘People are now more
aware of the Crime Watch program
in Dallas Borough.”
A major attraction of the Safety
Day included a six to eight mile-an-
hour ride on a machine called the
“Convincer’’ provided by the Luz-
erne County Seat Belt Program
(LCSBP).
The ‘‘Convincer,” said LCSBP
director Bernie Ott, “is a devise
used around the country to educate
people about the need to wear seat
belts. The price tag for Convincer is
approximately $6,000.”
Said Ott, “It (Convincer) has the
right name. Anyone who has tried it
knows how much of a jolt you get
even at only six miles per hour.”
Ott said devices like Convincer
have been used throughout the U.S.
for more than 15 years. Convincer
operates somewhat like a sliding
board in a playground. A rider is
strapped into a seat and is allowed
to slide freely down an 18-foot sled-
like track. The rider then slams into
a rubber stopper, giving the rider a
simulated experience of in automo-
bile crash at slow speeds. ,
“I asked one man who tried the
Convincer, to try it without a seat
belt (Ott said he would not have
allowed him to do, but asked
anyway),” Ott said. “And the man
said no way.”
Machines like Convincer have
proven, said Ott, to be effective
tools in educating motorists about
the need to wear seat belts.
In addition to the seat belt demon-
stration, members of the Back
Mountain Kiwanis Club finger-
printed over 25 children in order to
aid area police departments in
locating missing children.
Also local police assisted in regis-
tering nearly 20 childrens’ bicycles.
Nesbitt and Mercy Hospitals were
on hand to offer free blood pressure
tests and medical information pam-
phlets as well as information on
their sattelite medical centers
located in the Back Mountain area.
Coordinator Michael said one of
the biggest tasks of the Crime
Watch program is to try to make
people “mind other people’s busi-
ness.”
“From the time we are small
children in grade school,” Michael
said, “we are conditioned to mind
our own business. We grew up that
way and people sometimes feel they
would look stupid reporting some-
thing suspicious, if it turned out to
be nothing. But we must remember,
Michael continued, today it is your
neighbors’ problem, tomorrow it
could be yours.”
Michael said neighbors should
concentrate not on being ‘‘nosy,”
but rather on ‘being more alert to
what is going on around us.”
Michael said that since the Crime
Watch program began in June, 60
Dallas residents have signed up as
participants. Michael expects many
more to sign-up in coming months.
“We are looking in the future for
fund raising projects,” said
Michael. “Right now we are in the
planning stage. We have good sup-
port from the Dallas Police Depart-
ment and Borough Council. And
lately, more people have been
asking questions about how they can
get involved.”
Michael said she want to make
Dallas residents aware of exactly
what the Crime Watch program
does. Said Michael, “We are the
police departments’ eyes, in our
neighborhoods.”
— JOHN F. KILDUFF
nside The Post
alendar .......... 14,15
assified ......... 17,18
mmentary ......... 6
00kbOOK ............... 7
ssword ............. 4
ar Aunt Patty .... 9
ict Court ........2
uaries ............. 3
eople ............... 8,9
ool .................. 13
ris .............. 11,12