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By JOHN HOINSKI
Staff Writer
With the Dallas Township Elementary School on the
brink of being closed for good, concerned parents
continued to voice their opposition at the School
Board’s public work shop Monday night.
For the past few weeks, PTO groups and interested
citizens have been meeting with school leaders,
examining the pros and cons of the concept. And, with
the probability that the shutdown will take place, there
has been a growing concern over the dilemma.
The main point of contention centers around the
Board’s proposal of housing sixth and ninth grade
students in the same building. Parents say they are
not happy with that idea and that they would like the
members to come up with an alternative solution.
“1 have a daughter in fifth grade at the Dallas
Intermediate school,” stated Yorath Evans, a law
teacher at Wyoming Valley West. ‘And I believe that
mixing sixth and ninth grade students is out of line.
Sixth grade students are not mature enough, no
matter how minimal the contact between the two
groups may be, to handle the situation. The possible
emotional and physical problems that some students
may incur is a responsibility that the board has to
take.”
Added another disgruntled parent, “We are expect-
ing sixth graders to be mature beyond their years.
That’s what you are asking of them. No other school
district puts sixth and ninth graders in the same
building. But Dallas area wants to. We are regressing
up here.”
Under the new plan, kindergarten through fifth
grade students would be housed at the Westmoreland
and Dallas Intermediate schools. Sixth graders would
be placed with seventh, eighth and ninth grade classes
at the Junior High with students from grades 10
through 12 being taught at the Senior High School.
The Board’s long-range solution, supposedly two
years down the road, is to eventually move the ninth
grade students from the Junior High to the Senior
High with the sixth, seventh and eighth grades
forming a Middle School.
“If we're going to move the students to the senior
high in two years, why not just make the necessary
repairs on the elementary school until that time. That
way we could avoid the whole problem,” Director
Ernest Ashbridge said.
Superintendent Gerald Wycallis said exact figures
were not known, but that investigations into the
feasibility and practicality of the newly-proposed idea
would involve a minimum amount of contact between
sixth and ninth grade students. MR
“I talked to some teachers,” Director Al Pisaneschi
said, “and they say the only way to keep them isolated
is to hire the national guard.”
Those members in opposition said they did not
totally disagree with the concept, but they would like
to see it come about at a later date. :
“I’m not against the closing,” said Director John
George. “But I think we should we do it in 87-88 when
we can form the middle school. We’re putting the cart
before the horse. It’s a good move, but not right now.”
Preliminary studies have already been done on the
Junior High, Westmoreland and Intermediate schools,
concerning the cost for revamping those schools to
accomodate the current plan.
In recent years, Dallas Area’s enrollment has
dwindled from 3,700 students to 2,500 with two schools,
the Trucksville and Dallas Elementary buildings
having been closed in the past three years.
Vol. 97, No. 8
25 Cents
By JOHN HOINSKI
Staff Writer
People residing in the outlying
areas of Kingston Township longing
for cable television will be getting
their wish within a year.
Century Communications, an affil-
iate of Sentry Insurance, a multi-
million dollar mutual company of
Stevens Point, Wisconsin, will be
receiving a 10-year contract running
through 1999 to hook up the town-
ship. The company will initially pick
up the remaining three years of a
15-year agreement that was origi-
nally signed in 1974 between the
township and Dallas Cablevision.
That company is currently in the
process of being sold.
Jerry Toma, manager of Dallas
who will be
retained by Century, has been sur-
veying various sites to determine
the probable cost of the service.
Depending on where individuals
‘where from $125 to $350. The actual
cost, however, will not only depend
on a particular area but on the
number of people who would like
the service.
“Naturally, the more people who
want the cable in a particular place,
the cheaper the hook-up fee will
be,”” township supervisor Fred
Potzer said. ‘But some areas are
going to be more expensive, regard-
less. For example, on Memorial
Highway a main trunk and feeder
line must be put in so that may cost
between $300 and $350. But not all
areas require the two.” :
Although these figures are not
exact, here are some of the approxi-
mate hook-up fees that customers
can expect to pay: Carverton
Heights, $215; Cliffside Hieghts,
$125; Sutton Road, $186; Green
Road, $200 and Birch Grove, $315-
350.
No fee will be in excess of $350
and Century says people can pay
the one-time charge over a 12-month
period.
Once an area has been surveyed
for cable TV service and a mini-
mum number of subscribers has
been obtained; the company will
accept a down payment for installa-
tion. Once payment is received, the
customer can expect to receive
reception within 60 days. Following
the initial installation fee, the serv-
ice will cost $7.50 a month for 12
channels.
For an additional $5, subscribers
can obtain channels 12 through 22,
including Sportschannel, MTV,
Nickelodeon, the Walt Disney Chan-
nel and the Nashville Country Music
station. Those channels can be
picked up through use of a conver-
tor box. Also, another package deal
can be obtained for another $9.95
Showtime.
Potzer says the next step will be
to work out terms and conditions of
the agreement, involving the servic-
ing, repair and improvements that
can be made.
Carverton Heights will probably
be the first section to receive cable
when the project begins with all
other hook-ups to be completed
within the year.
The board expects to finalize the
agreement sometime in March.
Century Corporation operates 28
cable television systems in 17
states, servicing over 320,000 sub-
scribers. Walter Kinash, the East-
ern Regional operations manager
based in Lykens, Pa., will be
responsible for supervision of the
Dallas system.
Stressing his record of accom-
plishments and availability during
his first term in office, U. S. Rep.
Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, on
Monday announced his candidacy
for re-election to the United States
Congress.
Kanjorski, who will be seeking his
second consecutive two-year stint,
made the announcement during the
first of a four-stop tour, including
Hazleton, Berwick and Shamokin.
Standing before a small group of
supporters at the construction site
of the First Eastern Bank building
on Public Square, Kanjorski spoke
of his past accomplishments.
“I place my record of leadership,
responsiveness, effectiveness,
accessibility and honesty before my
fellow citizens in the 11th District,”
the 48-year old incumbent said.
“And 1 feel confident that upon
evaluation of that record, I will be
my work in what will be the 100th
Congress of our great nation.”
So far no one has stepped forward
to challenge Kanjorski in the May
primary with less than a week left
to file. Should he run opposed, he is
expected however, to encounter a
tough battle in the general election
from Republican candidate, Marc.
L. Holtzman who is also expected to
run without opposition.
“This will be a campaign by the
Kanjorski family and friends and
that’s a big family,”” Kanjorski
stated. “But I see a good issue-
oriented campaign.”
Pointing to his involvement with
several problems Northeastern
Pennsylvania has experienced,
including the Butler Mine Tunnel
spill and the giardiasis crisis, Kan-
jorski also cited his efforts with
various projects in Columbia, Mon-
tour, Northumberland, Carbon and
Sullivan counties.
“My toll free line and special
phone-in nights, coupled with more
than 60 town meetings, have given
the people of the 11th District
f
unparalled acces to their congress-
man,”’ he noted.
“In short, I’ve been there whether
its been creating new jobs, saving
old ones, gaining federal aid, or
cutting through bureaucratic red
tape. I've been there while meeting
with costituents solving their case-
work, and bringing congressinal
committees right here to Northeast-
ern Pennsylvania.”
Specifically, Kanjorski touched on
the industrial development of the
region and the use of cogeneration,
a process in which the carbon in
culm is burned to produce steam
energy.
He said he is now working on two
such projects and predicted 40 to 60
such plants would be operating in
the district within the next 20 years.
“I feel we have made great in-
roads into the industrial develop-
ment of this area. “Kanjorski said.
(See KANJORSKI, page 2)
Campaign status
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Staff Writer
The Back Mountain Memorial Library Capitol Cam-
paign Committee members, in its effort to raise
money to help pay costs for renovation projects on the
library building, say they have totaled $334,268.80 in
money and pledges to date.
The campaign, now in its 17th month, is hoping to
amass $450,000 before the projects scheduled ending
sometime in late March.
But, according to Homer Moyer, co-chairman of the
committee along with Nancy Eckert, that goal may be
in jeopardy.
“We have one or two more possible big pledges that
may allow us to reach our goal,” said Moyer. “But
right now it is not realistic.”
So far the monies accumulated have come from
individuals and businesses numbering 630 pledges, a
figure that Moyer says represents only a fraction of
the people living in the Back Mountain.
“We are thinking of running ads in the two Back
Mountain newspapers to inform people of the drive,”
he explained. “There are about 30,000 residents back
here and we have received contributions from only
about one-tenth.”
The Committee would like to mention several points
that individuals and businesses should be aware of
when considering making donations.
First, it is a one time three-year campaign and cash
pledges may be paid over that period of time.
their names inscribed on a plaque which will be kept
on display in the library. And third, memorial gifts in
memory of a friend or relative will be gladly accepted
and properly identified.
In addition to the campaign, the committee will
conduct other drives to establish funds.
¥
The 40th Annual Library Auction, which raised
$35,000 last year, will once again be held in July. Also
the Ham ’n Yeggs Club, a group that collected $35,000
last year, will again be accepting $25.00 cash dona-
tions. The Friends of the Library Club will also
receive cash payments from those who would like to
support the drive. ;
The Board is confident the community will support
the campaign and has already arranged a loan with
Wilkes-Barre banks to do the repairs, most of which
has been done.
Still, other projects must be completed, including the
Community Room that will be used for library
activities as well as a meeting place for various
groups in the Back Mountain area.
With the help of the Long Range Planning Commit-
tee that was formed in 1981 by the Library’s Board of
Directors, the structure formerly known as the Dallas
Borough Elementary School was purchased for the
modest sum of $30,000 from the School District.
The Building Committee, yet another group formed
by the Board, then hired the architectural firm of
Eyerman, Csala and Hapemen to plan the improve-
ments. In July of 1984, Wyoming Building Corporation
received the bid and was awarded a contract in
September of that year for $272,000.
Some of the building modifications include: the
addition of a new and modern entrance, the addition of
insulation to the reading room ceiling, replacement of
hand-fired coal boilers with a high efficiency gas unit
and replacement of the old windows with a double-
glazed window and insulated panel system.
For the past year, the Library has also been the
home of the Little People Day Care Center. Along with
providing care for the children, income from the
center also helps defray operating costs of the
building.
The Back Mountain Memorial Library was founded
in 1945.
Officials
approve
agreement
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
Jackson Township supervisors
approved Township Solicitor Blythe
Evans’ recommendation: to accept
the agreement with Woodridge
Estate developers concerning the
project’s draining system at the
March meeting, Monday night.
Township Planning Commission
representative John Filip reported
he reviewed the drainage system
previously approved by the commis-
sion and found the current system
working as requested by the town-
ship and that the developers have
compiled with the previous stipula-
tions of the supervisors.
Solicitor Evans explained that the
Woodridge Associates developers
had stipulated in the agreement that
since the lot owners would not be
responsible for the drainage project,
they (the developers) would.
In response to Board Chairman
Walter Zincavage’s concern that
there could be possible sewage over-
flow with expansion of the develop-
ment and the township would be
responsible for maintenance of the
system if Woodridge should go out
of business, Evans assured him that
the developer was expanding and
there was no cause to believe the
Woodridge Associates would fold.
Evans explained the developer
was presently expanding in an area
(See OFFICIALS, page 2)
Shooting
case probe
continuing
No new developments have sur-
faced in the case of a 19-year old
Dallas Township youth who was
shot to death in his home in late
January.
Police say they are still awaiting’
test results performed by Luzerne
County Coroner Dr. George E.
Hudock before they can take any
further action in an attempt to solve
the murder of Henry C. Tuck, IV.
“We have the ballistics report but
we still have to wait for the coro-
ners report before we can decide
which way to go on this case,”
Dallas Township Police Chief Carl
Miers said.
Tuck was allegedly shot to death
on January 24 by his 15-year old
brother, Andrew, who was the only
other person in the family’s Country
Club Road house.
According to the boys’ father,
Henry Tuck Jr., Andrew said he
accidentally shot his brother with a
20-gauge shotgun he borrowed from
a friend.
Hudock, who ruled that Tuck died
of a close range shotgun blast to the
left side of the back, is currently
performing several tests that will
help decide the manner of death.
Police say they will not release the
details of the ballistics report until
Hudock reports his findings.
— JOHN HOINSKI