Theft
(Continued from page 1)
ruary of this year to take a position
in Pittsburgh, returned to the dis-
trict to testify in Rogowski’s behalf.
Machuga was co-advisor of the art
club with Rogowski last year and
she told the court that the safe is
open and anyone can go into it. She
said if you asked someone in the
office you could go in to the safe
and that there was a change box in
the safe where you could get change
for a dollar.
Mrs. Clara Ferguson, who testi-
fied that teachers did not go into the
safe unattended, is employed week-
day mornings by the district to
supervise the 50 school club activi-
ties account. In the afternoon, Fer-
guson works in another part of the
district building. Atty. Posatko
pointed out that there were signifi-
cant differences in Clara Ferguson’s
stories, such as testifying that
teachers did not go into the safe
unattended nor seldom left money
in the safe.
Posatko pointed out that if the
accounting system was sound, the
security system left the potential for
abuse. He argued that if the defend-
Police
ant was going to be accused of theft,
it should be considered that any-
body could have taken part in
taking or disposing of the money.
Posatko also pointed out that CPA
Paul Sidorek, retained by the dis-
trict, audited only the art club
account and none of the other activi-
ties accounts. He also reminded the
jurors that Sidorek testified when he
analyzed the art club account, he
was not aware that other teachers
had access to the safe.
It was Rogowski’s testimony that
revealed that at least 30 students
were delinquent in paying for the
candy they sold. He testified that
132 students took part in the candy
sale and he explained how he kept
track of the candy sales by using a
color-coded record. He explained
that in October, 1984, he became
concerned that there were a large
number of students, who had not
turned in their money from the sale
which had started the month before.
He said he met with Mazzeo three
different times to ask for help in
resolving the delinquent accounts.
After the first two meetings, in
which Rogowski said he had not
success in attempts to collect the
outstanding money, he met a third
time with Mazzeo to request support
from the administration in collect-
ing the delinquencies. He said he
was upset that there was still more
than $1,000 outstanding.
Rogowski said that on the day he
was suspended, he turned over a
color-coded record of candy sale
money to Mazzeo and Ellsworth,
showing the unpaid accounts.
Mazzeo and Ellsworth denied they
ever received records of any kind
from Rogowski.
Atty. Posatko stated he believed
Rogowski was a victim of becoming
involved in a system that was lax in
security and that he was susceptible
to becoming a scapegoat.
The former president of the stu-
dent art club, a graduate in June,
1985, came from West Chester Col-
lege to testify on behalf of
Rogowski. Additional witnesses,
who testified as character witnesses
for Rogowski were from the local
area, among them Anthony Mar-
chakitis, assistant to the Lake-
Lehman Superintendent, Dr. M.
David Preston.
(Continued from page 1)
will monitor traffic flow and clock
speeding motorists from the air
utilizing stop watches to time vehi-
cles through marked zones on the
highways.
Task Force 55 will also provide
additional troopers on non-interstate
highways over the weekend. Four
teams, comprised of three troopers
each, will work the non-interstate
highways, to provide strict enforce-
ment of the 55 mph speed limit.
Commissioner Cochran also
reminded motorists that the week of
November 24 to November 30 is ‘All
American Buckle Up Week.” The
State Police urge everyone travel-
ing this week, whether it’s a short
trip to shop or a long drive to visit
friends or relatives, to wear their
seat belt. Please help us make this
holiday weekend one for which we
can all be thankful.
The 102 hour Thanksgiving holi-
day traffic count begins 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 27 and ends Mid-
night, Sunday, Dec. 1. Last year the
Pennsylvania State Police investi-
gated 851 accidents in which 12
persons were killed and 472 wee
injured.
The Pennsylvania State Police
offer these safe driving tips as you
prepare for the holiday weekend
and winter season ahead.
The best running car in town can’t
move you and your family if your
wheels are spinning on snow or ice
because the tread has disappeared
from your old tires. There is no
time like NOW to put a set of tire
chains and other emergency equip-
ment in your vehicle.
Emergency equipment, including
booster cables, a shovel, tow chain,
warning flares, traction mats, sand
or rock salt and the type of tire
chains recommended for your vehi-
cle, should be stowed in your trunk.
Check all your lights, front and
back, and replace them if they are
burned out.
When planning your holiday trip,
no matter how long or short, plan
your route in advance. Keep your
timetable flexible in case of inclem-
ent weather or slow traffic. Be
rested and alert when you start and
plan rest stops along the way.
If highway conditions are slip-
pery, increase your following dis-
tance, and adjust your speed down.
Please wear your seat belts. It
can save lives and reduce injuries.
Neighbors
(Continued from page 1)
“I realize there are no specific
laws stipulating staff members on
duty 24 hours round the clock,” said
Mrs. Cross, ‘However, we have had
staff members on duty 24 hours a
day since our home opened. A staff
member is available at all times.
“We keep our doors unlocked all
of the time because we solved the
‘“‘run-away’’ problem by installing
panic bars and an alarm system on
each door. Every time the door
opens, the alarm goes off alerting a
staff member that someone is
coming in or going out the door so
they check immediately.”
Mrs. Cross said she believes
common sense, concern for the wel-
fare of the patient and love of the
patient are three key factors in the
operation of a personal care guest
home. In addition, she has her home
plugged in to Home-Health Service.
Each individual operates a home
differently, according to Mrs. Cross,
and although she has concern for
Thomas she believes it necessary to
Problems of a
homeowner
Leaking faucets, broken window
panes and cracked walls are just a
few of the common problems that
try the patience and pocketbook of
the homeowners and those who rent.
Most of these problems are too
small for a contractor.
Small Home Repairs Made Easy
is available from the Consumer
Education Research Center, a non-
profit consumer group. To obtain a
copy send $4 (this includes postage)
to CCE, 439 Clark Street, South
Orange, N.J. 07079. :
have a staff member on duty round
the clock despite the fact that
owners live on the premises.
Mrs. Ralph Naugle, a former LPN
who worked in a nursing home, said
she .desd know the Thomas family
very well, but she feels sorry for
them. She said she believes that
everyting in the guest home would
have been fine if it had not been for
the patient with the tendency to set
fires. Mrs. Naugle also said that she
never paid too much attention to the
home.
FIRST QUALITY MEN'S 8& WOMIN'S WEAR
She stated that the morning of the
fire nobody wakened her, but she
did get up and, from her bathroom
window, she saw all the people
below around the Thomas home.
Mrs. Naugle said she got dressed,
went downstairs and outside to see
what was going on.
“I don’t know exactly how long it
was, but the fire company didn’t
come for quite a while,” she said.
She also said.that Thomas went
back into the house’ to attempt to
get some of the people out.
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Guest home remains
Dallas Post/| mpbell
Fire
(Continued from apge 1)
when he confronted her, Miss Rae-
dler became very upset. Gillespie
said paper matches, prohibited in
the guest home, were found in a
waste can in the bathroom adjacent
to Miss Raedler’s room. Two
wooden matches, similar to the
matches found by Thomas in Miss
Raedler’s room the day before the
fire, were found in the livingroom
under the cushions on a couch.
Gillespie said a substantial chain
of circumstantial evidence led
investigators to conclude that Rae-
dler intentionally set the fire and
that after careful inspection of all
circumstantial facts, officials were
forced to conclude that Raedler was
the person most likely to have
started the fire. He said that if she
had lived, there was enough circum-
stantial evidence to charge her with
a crime.
The district attorney gave credit
for solving the crime to Nicholas
Gushka, State Fire Marshal. Sweet
Valley Volunteer Fire Co. and
Robert Walsh, Fire Co. Chief.
In answer to questions as to why a
person with a history of emotional
disturbance such as Miss Raedler’s
was not placed where she would be
trict attorney explained that a
mental health agency merely con-
tracts to arrange for an outpatient
to stay where the patient desires. A
mental health agency can only rec-
ommend places to the patient.
“There is no law that specifies
patients such as Miss Raedler be
under 24-hour surveillance as they
should be in my opinion,” said
Gillespie. ‘“That is why I urge the
Pennsylvania lawmakers to re-think
the manner in which mentally ill
persons are housed and cared for.”
There were 14 residents and five
members of the Thomas family in
the Thomas Guest Home at th time
of the July 23 fire, seven of whom
were killed and the 12 others nar-
rowly escaping-death at the time.
Three others died in the weeks
following the fire.
The seven who died in the fire
were Lucy Delregno, Freeland;
Agnes Scanlon, Wilkes-Barre;
Nicholas Demko, Wilkes-Barre; Ste-
phen Haversley, native of Austria;
Emmett Dempsey, West Side;
Grace Sorber, Salem Township; and
Rhonda Raedler, Jeansville. Later,
from burns incurred in the fire and
a few weeks later Miss Ruth C.
Loescher died in Leader West Nurs-
ing Home, Kingston, one day after
she was transferred to the Leader
Home from General Hospital. A 10th
victim died the following week.
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