By CHARLES D. LEMMOND
Special to The Dallas Post
In recent years, there has been a
concentrated effort on the part of
the Legislature to get tough on
crime. From passing legislation
mandating minimum prison sen-
tences for certain crimes to bolster-
ing state assistance offered to vic-
tims of crimes and their families,
Pennsylvania’s General Assembly
has been reevaluating the methods
Commonwealth. The General
Assembly has established a mini-
mum prison sentence of five years
for a crime committed with a hand-
gun, it has enacted one of the
toughest drunk driving bills in the
nation and we currently are focus-
ing on legislation dealing with
crimes involving children.
Recently, the Senate took another
step in this crackdown on crime by
unanimouslx passing a bill dealing
with criminal offenses related to the
use, possession and sale of illegal
drugs. The bill received overwhelm-
ing support and I am optimistic that
the state House of Representatives
will act favorably on the legislation
in the near future.
Specifically, the bill adds three
offenses to the state’s Controlled
Substance, Drug, Device, and Cos-
metic Act. It -akes using the tele-
phone to set up a drug deal a crime,
makes conspiracy to organize and
sell drugs a crime and makes any
ongoing operation to sell drugs a
serious offense punishable by as
much as life in prison.
The bill also toughens penalties
and sets mandatory sentences for
convictions involving large amounts
of drugs. For example, anyone con-
victed of possessing 50 to 100 pounds
of marijuana would face a manda-
tory minimum sentence of one year
in jail and a $5,000 fine. Possession
of between 100 and 500 pounds would
mean at least two years in jail and
a $10,000 fine and more than 500
pounds would mean a three-year
minimum jail term and a $25,000
fine.
Other drugs and the amounts are
also specifically dealt with in terms
fines. ’
By establishing these guidelines
for judges, it is important to note
that we are only mandating mini-
mum punishments for the crime
and not a maximum. In other
words, judges are free to impose
penalties stiffer than those dictated
by the Seante bill if they so choose.
As with most legislation, however,
the bill itself is not the answer to
controlling illegal drug use within
Pennsylvania. Truly effective con-
trol of such activity takes the collec-
tive effort of all of us. We must
continue to educate people as to the
dangers of drugs as well as the
punishments related to drug posses-
sion, sale and use. As the message
becomes clearer, we will be in a
better position to wipe out illegal
drug use in the Commonwealth.
(Senator Charles Lemmond Jr. is
a Republican Senator from Dallas.
His column appears periodically in
The Dallas Post.)
Two announce
candidacy
Michelle Boice and Daniel F.
Blaine announce that they are can-
didates for Luzerne County Commit-
tee persons from Harveys Lake.
Boice is running for reelection while
this is the first time Blaine will run
for the committeeman post.
In addition to being the present
committeewoman, Mrs. Boice is
also the Chairperson of the Harveys
Lake Democratic Organization. She
has been active in Democratic poli-
tics for many years as well as
serving a term on council. She is
employed by the Hartman Insur-
ance Company as an agent.
Blaine is presently serving as
Democratic Luzerne County Jury
Commissioner. He has been active
in politics many years having been
elected to the former Wilkes-Barre
Government Charter Study Com-
mission, and Harveys Lake Borough
Council. Blaine was the first elected
Democratic President of Borough
Council.
Blaine and Boice are running as a
team and hope to continue to build
and improve upon the Democratic
party at Harveys Lake.
College Misericordia’s ‘Funds for
a Better Future” campaign volun-
teers met recently at the Sheraton-
Crossgates in Wilkes-Barre and
chairman Murray Ufberg
announced that $269,750 has been
raised to date. The amount repre-
sents 83 percent of the $325,0000
goal.
Ufberg commended the five com-
munity vice chairpersons, their cap-
tains and solicitors, and alumni
volunteers for their efforts thus far
to raise funds for scholarships,
grants and other financial aid pro-
grams at College Misericordia.
The vice chairpersons are Ther-
esa Brennan; Scott Burnside, vice
presdient of revenue and sales of
Commonwealth Telephone Co.;
Rusty Flack, president of Diamond
Consolidated Industries, Inc.; Joe
Killeen, vice president of United
Penn Bank; and Robert Patton,
senior vice president, Merchants
In the alumni giving phase of the
campaign, chaired by Mary Beth
Garey Brady, $85,620 has been
raised through direct mail solicita-
tion and the alumni phonathon. To
date, 92 percent of the $93,000 goal
for the college’s 7300 alumni has
been achieved.
Chris Gaudenzi, a junior business
administration major from Cherry
Hill, NJ, was the featured speaker
for the report meeting. Gaudenzi
talked about the importance of
work-study opportunities and her
role as student government vice
president.
Final results of the campaign will
be announced at a victory celebra-
tion on March 5, 6 p.m., at The
Woodlands in Plains Township.
In 1886, the children of the United
States and France donated their
pennies for the cosntruction of the
pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
In 1986 the children of the Dallas
Township kindergarten can proudly
say, “I helped Save the Lady!” So
say the badges of more than 100
kindergarten students at the school.
This project was cteated by Mrs.
Doris McCain, one of the kindergar-
ten teachers. The project began
with a dual purpose; to raise money
for the restoration of the Statue of
Liberty and to enable the five and
six year olds to feel pride in partici-
pating in a national effort.
Mrs. McCain proposed that the
children do chores ‘at home to earn
their own money for the restoration.
With the help of Mrs. Lucille Calla-
han and Mrs. Sharon Lyons, also
kindergarten teachers, the project
came to life.
The chores the students did were
decided upon beforehand by the
students and then printed into job
coupons. The coupons were then
purchased by the parents for 25
cents each. Each coupon became a
promise by the child to help set the
table, feed the pets, pick up toys,
ete.
There was also an added bonus!
Oscar Mayer agreed to donate 25
cents for every dollar sent into the
Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund,
provided the money was sent in by
January 31, 1986.
JONES
Memorial Highway
Shavertown
675-0393
United Penn Bank Bldg.
Wilkes-Barre
823-5181
“THE FAMOUS
COUNTRY STORE"
Memorial Hwy., Dallas
HAMS
1
KIELBASI
ORDER YOUR
FRESH KILLED
TURKEYS
NOW!
We are pleased and proud to
announce that the children have
collectively earned $240.00. They
made the January 31st deadline.
Therefore, their grand total earned
to help “Save the Lady” is $300.00!
Congratulations to all the beauti-
ful, hard-working kindergarten chil-
dren. We are proud of you. A
special thanks also to their parents
for their cooperation.
No
REP. STANLEY JAROLIN
eta
Two injured
Dallas Post/Fay Broody
Kingston Township. Patrick
Moran, 12 S. Main St.
Pioneer Ave.,
injury to her back.
keys from the ignition.
State Rep. Stanley J. Jarolin has
announced that he will be a candi-
date for a third term as Representa-
tive in the 119th Legislative District
in Luzerne County.
Jarolin, a resident of Nanticoke,
was first elected to the Pennsyl-
vania House of Representatives in
1982. Since taking office, he has
been present at every legislative
voting session and has compiled a
100 percent attendance record.
In 1985 he chaired a special House
sub-committee to investigate alco-
hol abuse among teenagers and
conducted a number of public hear-
ings throughout Pennsylvania to
take testimony from witnesses in
the public and private sector to
determine the extent of teenage
alcohol abuse. Findings of the inves-
tigation have resulted in Jarolin-
sponsored legislation that would
provide for mandatory educational
programs on durgs and alcohol in
the state’s school system.
He was recently appointed to head
a special Select Committee to inves-
tigate teenage suicide. After an
intensive in-depth study of the prob-
lem, Jarolin will submit a report of
the findings of the committee to
members of the House.
In addition to .the Liquor Control
Committee, Jarolin also serves on
the Conservation, Local Govern-
ment and Professional Licensure
committees. As a member of the
Conservation Committee, he played
a key role in that panel’s investiga-
tion of the state Department of
Environmental Resources. He has
been a staunch supporter of legisla-
tion to protect the environment and
recently co-sponsored House Bill
367, a measure that proposes the
establishment of a superfund within
the Commonwealth to deal with the
cleanup of toxic waste sites. The bill
also would give host municipalities
more authority in the approval of
siting and operation of disposal
sites.