BE NIERY
fale LOH TEN, AP
Vol. 96, No. 49
In hit-run fatality
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
Investigation by Pennsylvania State Police into the
death of Walter Karasek, 16, of Dallas, the victim of a
hit and run accident Saturday night on Route 415,
Dallas, reveals the young man was struck and killed
by a late-model vehicle, ranging from gold to cham-
pagne beige. That information has been reported by
Sgt. Anthony Matson, traffic sergeant of Pennsylvania
State Police, Troop P, Wyoming.
Matson explained that paint on the clothing of the
victim appeared to be gold, blending into a cham-
pagne or beige. He said the clothing taken from the
victim was damp and would be allowed to air dry,
then turned over to the state police lab where testing
of the paint samples would determine the exact color
of the vehicle that struck Karasek.
Sgt. Matson stated that marks on the victim’s body
indicated he was struck from behind and that consi-
derable damage had to be done to the front of the
vehicle.
State police have appealed to all local police
departments, area garages and car dealers to watch
for vehicles matching the above description and to be
especially aware of requests for parts such as
Hospital
has name
change
The Board of Directors of the
NPW Medical Center in Wilkes-
Barre officially approved to change
the name of the facility to Geisin-
ger-Wyoming Valley Medical Center
effective December 10, 1985, accord-
ing to an announcement by Stuart
Heydt, M.D., Medical Center Presi-
dent. While the name itself may be
new, Dr. Heydt stressed that the
Medical Center will still be the
same open medical staff, commu-
nity hospital that it has been for the
past five years.
“Geisinger-Wyoming Valley Medi-
cal Center is a community hospital
here to serve the health care needs
of the people of the Greater Wyo-
ming Valley and Western Pocono
region,” he reported.
“Qur success has been predicated
on the quality and dedication of our
hospital and medical staff,” contin-
ued Dr. Heydt.
Members sworn in
headlighis, bumpers, trim and similar items, particu-
larly those used to repair the front of a vehicle.
Karasek, of 149 Pinecrest Avenue, Dallas, was
walking INorth on the East berm on Route 415 when he
was struck by the vehicle approximately 80 feet south
of Dallas Photo Shop, according to Sgt. Matson.
Two young women also were walking north on Route
415 when they heard a vehicle approaching. The
women claim they heard a thud and the victim’s body
slid past them on the highway. According to reports,
one of the women remained with the victim while fhe
second one went to call for help.
According to Sgt. Matson, the two witnesses, Wo
chose to remain anonymous for fear of intimidation,
said the victim was not thrown from the car. Matson
also said that reports that Karasek was either beaten,
stabbed oir thrown from a car are erroneous and that
there is nc) truth whatsoever to such rumors.
Karaselk; was taken by ambulance to the Wilkes-
Barre General Hospital where he died at 2:28 a.m.
Sunday during surgery, according to Luzerne County
Coroner Dir. George E. Hudock, Jr.
District Attorney Robert Gillespie, in a statement
Monday, said his office would not become involved in
the hit-an(d-run accident until an arrest is made, unless
a request is made by police officials for direction in
interrogation.
incumbent.
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
Dr. M. David Preston, district
superintendent, said that Lake-
Karasek was born in Kingston, the son of Leo and
Anastasia Salata Karasek, now residents of Dallas. He
was a member of the junior class, West Side Vo-Tech
School, Pringle. He also was employed as a chef at
Mark II Restaurant from where he was returning
home at the time of the accident. Karasek was a
member of Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas. He was a
former news carrier for The Dallas Post, a publication
of Pennaprint, Inc.
In addition to his parents, Karasek is survived by
brothers, Leonard and Robert, at home; sisters,
Debbie Karasek, Harveys Lake; Mary Karasek, Swoy-
ersville; and paternal grandmother, Mrs. Alice Kara-
sek, Swoyersville.
Private funeral service will be held from the
Richard H. Disque Funeral Home, 672 Memorial
Highway, Dallas, with Mass of Christian Burial in
Gate of Heaven Church. There will be no calling
hours. Memorial contributions may be made to Dallas
Fire and Ambulance, Inc., Main Street, Dallas.
Persons who may have any information about the
accident or the vehicle involved in the hit-and-run are
requested to call the state police at Wyoming at 693-
2442, or Dallas Borough Police at 675-0161. All calls
will be kept confidential, Sgt. Matson said.
According to state police, the hit-and-run driver
could face at least homicide by a vehicle which is a
25 Cents
el auto -
WALTER KARASEK
Killed by hit-run driver
first degree misdemeanor with a maximum five-year
jail sentence and or a maximum fine of $10,000, or
accidents involving death or injury, involving fleeing
from the scene of an accident, a third-degree misde-
meanor with a maximum of a one-year jail sentence
and or a maximum fine of $2,500.
Pennsylvania = State Police and Dallas Borough
Plies Chief Edward Lyons are continuing the investi-
gation.
hended through the use of Vascar,
have been successful in having their
cases dismissed.
“Our police department has never
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Kingston Township manager Fred
Potzer stated last Friday that town-
ship officials are seeking the sup-
port of area State Representative
and State Senators R. Musto and
Charles Lemmond “for "continuing
the use of Vascar by local townships
and boroughs.
Kingston Township, according to
Potzer, initiated the use of Vascar
in 1978. A radar-like device used. in
the apprehension of speeding motor-
ists, it is a box-like piece of equip-
ment mounted in police patrol
cards.
The township has two such
patrol car and one in a plain car.
The concern of township officials
is that in the past months, motorists
taken before magistrates in other
abused the use of Vascar,’”’” said
Potzer. “They have used it primar-
ily to reduce the number of acci-
dents within the township, not as a
revenue-making device.’
Polzer explained that the cos st. of
purchasing each pieces of the equip-
ment was $1,000, cost of installation
$250, cost to train each person to use
the Vascar $200, and the cost of
total of $3,450 for each one. There is
also an additional cost for calibra-
tion of the device every 60 days.
Quite often using the device for a
speeding arrest develops into an
arrest for drunken driving, and the
police go one step further to the
intoximeter. According to Potzer,
there have been no cases challeng-
ing the use of Vascar within Kings-
(See PUSH, page 10)
The Lake-Lehman School Board
in its regular meeting, Tuesday,
Dec. 10, voted unanimously in favor
of a change in policy that will
require applicants for positions
within the district to provide a
statement from the state police
whether or not they have a criminal
record for child abuse.
This change in policy will be in
line with the new state law that will
take effect in January, according to
Atty. Peter J. Savage, district solic-
itor.
Director Martin Noon stated that
he believed that the committees
should be advised by the adminis-
tratiom before expenditures are
approved. Noon said he did not
believe the board should only see
the bills when board members
approve payment of them. School
Director Bing O. Wolfe voiced his
board should pay for all services
performed but that like Noon, he
would like members to have knowl-
edge of the expenditures earlier
than when put before the board for
approval.
Allen Keiper, board president,
said that board members will cis-
cuss the matter at a future work
session.
The board approved renting the
school district’s gymnasiums to
Penn State Wilkes-Barre Campus
for $500 annually, by an 8-1 vote,
with director Robert Emory casting
the dissenting vote.
Emory pointed out that for (he
past two years the Penn State Uni-
versity has been charged $1,500 for
200 hours annually, averaging $7.50
per hour. He said that this year 'the
college indicated the number of
hours it will use the gyms will be
100 or an average of only $5.00 joer
hour.
Lehman receives many benefits
from Penn State without charge
such as the campus soccer field, use
of the university’s computerized
information system, and a faculty
committee which is available for
gifted students of the district.
Emory made a mdion to charge
the university $1,000 t bring the fee
in line with previous rears, but his
motion was defeated by the board
members.
Committee chairman for the
coming year as announced by Board
President Keiper are Jiseph “Red”
Jones, athletics; Charles Nafus,
buildings and propert;; Bing O.
Wolfe, education; Gillert Tough,
finance; Edward Mak, policy;
Robert Emory, transpotation; and
Martin Noon, communityrelations.
At the Dallas Schod District
meeting held Monday, De. 9, board
(See BOAR), page 10)
Townships
eligible for
program
Four Back Mountain townships
are now eligible to participate in the
Urban Development Action Grant
(UDAG) program, according to U.S.
Senator John Heinz (R.PA).
The four townships involved are
Franklin Township, Kingston Town-
ship, Lake Township, and Lehman
Township.
Heinz, a member of the Senate
Banking, Housing and Urban
Affairs Committee, has been a
strong supporter of the UDAG pro-
gram. Due in part to Heinz’ close
working relationship with HUD Sec-
retary Samuel Pierce, whose
agency administers the program,
and in part to provisions authored
by Heinz, Pennsylvania received
nearly 10 percent of all UDAG
awards made in 1984.
UDAGS have been an important
element in many economic develop-
ment projects throughout Pennsyl-
vania. Fraom 1978 to 1984, Pennsyl-
vania won UDAG awards totaling
$251.3 million, which leveraged $1.24
billion in private investment, and
led to the creation of 26,913 jobs and
the retention of 4.762 jobs that would
otherwise have been lost. As the key
to renovation of business districts,
to building convention centers or to
preserving historic districts, the
UDAG program has been an
extremely successful public-private
partnership for economic growth in
Pennsylvania.
The UDAG program was threat-
ened with extinction earlier this
year when other Senators opposed
it, claiming that their states were
not benefiting. Heinz negotiated a
deal to save UDAG which altered
some of the criteria for the program
and expanded the pool of eligible
communities.
‘“‘Pennsylvania’s regional eco-
nomic development groups will con-
tinue to have an edge in securing
UDAGs because of their previous
experience with the program. The
new program will enhance the abil-
ity of smaller communities to com-
pete for UDAGs,” Heinz said.
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
a first
Inside The Post
Calendar .............. 20
Classified ......... 17,18
Commentary ......... 6
Cookbook ............... 7
Crossword .............2
Health .................. 15
Obituaries ............. 2
People ................ 8,9
School .............. 14,15
Sports .......... 11,12,13
El