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Vol. 99, No. 18
Wednesday, May 11, 1988
25 Cents
Residents warned
not to drink water
BY CHARLOT M. DENMON : : :
Staff Writer :
Residents in Back Mountain communities have been plagued by water
contamination problems recently: and in some areas, they have been told
not to use the water for drinking or cooking.
® week in a routine survey by DER sanitarian Len Zelenka, a well in
vicinity of Prince of Peace Episcopal Church was found to be polluted
with four compounds, harmful unless aerated properly. The well, property
of Pennsylvania Gas & Water, was contaminated with Trans 1-2
diochloroethen, SIS 1-2 diochhoroethen, TCE and PCE.
As a precautionary measure, residents supplied with water from this
well were advised not to use the water until further notice. PG&W were in
the process of treating the well by aeration or carbon absorption and the
water will be retested before it is allowed to be used.
Zelenka explained that the source of contamination was not explainable
but could come from old undergronnd gas tanks discarded waste
materials in past years.
Last Wednesday Dallas Water Contipany shut down one of its wells when
it was found to contain diochloreothen, and first testing 32.4 parts per
billion. The well contamination gradually decreased after it was shut
down and was to be retested Monday. "
. Water company general manager Joseph Salla explained that the
storage tank tested at 4.6 parts per billion which is four tenths under the
2 imum level of ‘five parts per billion. The Natona well is a
pplemental well that helps keep the water tank filled. Since water from
the tank is combined with water from other wells, wafer reaching homes
will not be alarmingly high.
Five other wells of the company were tested and all were fine but the
one. “
Due to water from other wells being temporarily used to supply the
customers in Elmcrest, Stonehedge and Cellege Manor developments,
Salla said all customer's are requested to cut back on ‘their use of water.
They are asked to refrain from washing ears, filling pools, or watering
lawns in order to be sure of a sufficient supply. Department of
Environmental Resources is lending the Dallas Water Company three of
“their units to assist the two units ownet by the local company to resolve
the problem.
Ppiccording to Salla, the company officials are looking at the possibility
a pumping station between Shavertown and Dallas which would take
from one to three weeks. i.
DER will grant the company an emergency permit for a well in
meres. When the design is complete, DER will Teview it and" if okay
well which is drilled and has been tested will be granted an interim
permit.
“The contaminated well can be aerated” » Lil said. “We don’t know
the total perameters, we have had some contradictory testing reports so
not enough tests for proper treatment.”
Salla explained that technology detecting equipment is only six or seven
years old and prior to that time, there was no base to determine risks of
contamination. The compounds found in the water are the same as in
drain cleaners, carburators, paint thinners, and car cleaners.
.
A MONUMENTAL TASK — Many Back Mountain residents took advantage of the week-long
clean-up campaign in Kingston Township. Pictured are Tom Fritzges, Chuck Woolbert, Jack Kaleta,
Larry Cummings and Mike Goldsmith who worked long hours to fill the many dumpsters with
mountains of trash. (Linda Shurmaitis Photo)
Kingston Twp. clean-up biggest ever
|
they also had a record cleanup,”
Potzer said.
Potzer said he thought perhaps
the limit set for the number of bags
collected by the garbage collectors
had something to do with the
amount brought in by residents this
year. He thought perhaps many
residents decided to get rid of any
trash or items they weren’t using
because of the landfill crisis.
“We had a lot of metal, etc.
turned in which we separated and
were able to salvage five container
loads of metal for recycling.”
votes to add
balance from next year’s budget.
A lot owned by the school district
on Westminster Drive, New Goss
Manor, was sold Monday to high
BY CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Writer
. J Township manager Fred
Potzer said Monday that the Spring
Cleaning Days, May 2 through May
7, was the biggest cleanup ever in
the township.
“In the past we averaged 25 of 26
containers but this year there were
approximately 41 containers or 1300
cubic yards of solid waste. I talked
with officials from Dallas Township
and Dallas Borough and they said
Dallas board
Dallas School Board voted unani-
mously to add two classrooms to
Dallas Elementary School by con-
verting a storage room into class-
rooms to ease the overcrowding of
students. The renovation was esti-
mated at approximately $27,500 and
will be funded by the money
~ received by the district from land
: Gi sold in Goss Manor and the
) LF.
bidder Craig Tupper for $22,500,
“who acted as an agent for Ander-
son Construction of Pittston. The
balance of about $4,500 will proba-
bly come from next year’s budget,
according to District Superintend-
Saturday was the final day for
the township's spring cleanup and
there were long lines of residents
bringing in trash to the containers.
The township had three or four
men working to assist the resi-
dents.
Some of the residents on Gree
Road cleaned up the entire area in
that section of Midway Manor and
bagged it neatly for pickup.
“Everyone did a great job of
cleaning up the township,”” Potzer
said. “We are hauling everything
out today (MOnday) and it should
all be gone by the end of the day.”
classrooms
ent Gerald Wycallis.
The renovation of the storage
room into two classrooms was bid
originally last year and if the bids
are still the same and contractors
will honor them.
Graduation ceremonies will be
Thursday, June 16 at 6 p.m. in the
high school football stadium,
weather permitting.
Barbara
BY RICHARD FIEGELMAN
Special to The Post
Barbara Walters, poignant and
provocative, lectured at the Kirby
Center in Wilkes-Barre on Monday,
May 9. She was sponsored by the
Jewish Community Center and
Times Leader as part of the Town
Hall Lecture Series. Prior to speak-
ing, Miss Walters held a press
conference in the Green Room at
the Kirby, and expounded on sev-
eral issues and personalities of
current or past interest.
The conference began at 6:30 p
.m. due to Miss Walters late
arrival from New York. She was
still editing her special which airs
on Friday, May 13, and includes
interviews with Sylvester Stallone
and Patrick Swayze.
Miss Walters, though obviously
tired, was composed and articulate
throughout the conference. Her wit
and sense of humor were apparent.
The first question she fielded was
on astrology in the White House, as
reported in Donald Regan’s new
book on the Reagans. She stated
that she had ‘‘not read the book”,
but that perhaps a ‘larger question
is about the kiss and tell books’
She remembered that in the Ken-
nedy era ‘‘cabinet members had to
sign a statement saying that they
wouldn’t write such an expose”
She continued that in those days
such books were ‘‘unheard of’.
When asked who was her most
interesting interview, after pausing
a moment she said simply, ‘‘Sadat.
He was most impressive, he had a
vision, a wonderful personality. The
word charismatic was written for
him. As a matter of fact I'm
having lunch with Mrs. Sadat
Sewer Authority asks
for operating funds
BY BONNIE DOMBROSKI
Staff Writer
The Jackson Township General
Municipal Authority held its regu-
lar monthly meeting on Monday, at
the township fire hall. Present were
‘Chairman Richard Kindler and
members McMahon, Evanish, and
Napieralski as well as Darryl Paw-
lush from Pasonick Engineers and
Township Supervisors Tom Adams
and Charles Cigarski.
According to the treasurer’s
report, the operating funds in the
bank are down to $189.63. A motion
was passed to request additional
operating funds from the Jackson
Township Supervisors.
Kindler read a letter from town-
ship solicitor Blythe Evans in
| - which Evans asked for alternate
ways of removing rock to be
explored rather than blasting. At
the last supervisors’ meeting, sev-
eral residents from Briarwood
Drive had expressed their concern
over possible property damage and
loss of wells if blasting is done near
their homes when the sewers are
installed.
According to Kindler, he was told
by DER that any additional costs
must be assumed by the township
if they wish to act in this accord.
He said he was informed that these
costs cannot be included in the
EPA grant or any loans from Penn-
Vest.
When questioned why no testing
was done in Briarwood as it was in
other parts of the township, Paw-
lush replied that there was evi-
dence of rock formations so no
testing was needed.
In regard to any further testing
that might be done, Kindler said
the authority has no funds to do so
and that it must be handled by the
supervisors.
Adams said on behalf of the
superviosrs that something like
that would be undertaken only on
the recommendation of the town-
ship engineers or the solicitor.
Adams also explained that a
township ordinance requires that
any contractor who will be blasting
must be duly licenses and bonded
for the protection of the residents.
Pawlush suggested two courses of
action now open to the authority:
open the job for rebidding with the
stipulation that no blasting be
done; or go to construction, deter-
mine what kind of rock is there and
how much there is, and make a
decision based on that information
whether to blast or try to remove
the rock manually.
One resident asked if it would be
possible to exempt Briarwood from
installing sewers because of the
rock ledge. Kindler told the resi-
dents he asked the same thing of
DER and was told "absolutely
not”.
If blasting is done, according to
Pawlush ‘‘there will be no damage
to any homes at any depth” but
residents were not assured by that
statement. They said their wells
are located near the road and are
at depths of over 500 feet. They
seemed as concerned with the
inconvenience of losing water and
the time it would take to drill new
wells as with potential damage to
their structures. £)
A motion was approved by the
authority to censider blasting only
as a last resort and that every
possible alternative should be
explored to eliminate the need for
blasting.
In the event that blasting must
«be done, the-authevity will g
contractor six weeks from the tim :
the problem is discovered to notify
the authority, the authority’s engi
neers, or the township superviosrs.
The authority has agreed to
make a decision based on potential A
damages to properties versus the
additional costs of manual ‘rock ;
removal. : Hy
alters speaks out
tomorrow in Virginia. She now
lives in the United States.”
In a moment of vulnerability,
Miss Walters said, ‘“You don’t
make many friends when you do
what I do, you do the interview and
you leave. Mrs. Sadat has become
a friend.”
She finds political Hiterpiows
much easier because with celebri-
ties ‘you have to do a lot of
homework. Especially with the spe-
cials, you have to do something to
make it special or it becomes the
Barbara Walters’ ordinary. With a
politician it’s no holds barred”.
She was asked her thoughts on
the current presidential race and
said that it seems obvious that
Bush and Dukakis will go head to
head in November. If that changes
she would find it ‘most amazing.”
She foresees a tight race, but would
not predict an outcome.
In her opinion, Bush and Dukakis
are somewhat similar men, both
‘cautious and undramatic.”’ Upon
saying that she knows George Bush
quite well, this reporter asked her
whether the ‘“wimp’’ label fit. Miss
Walters responded with a most
emphatic, “No”. “In-September he
and I talked about this because he
was most concerned about it. It’s
something about the way he looks,
Ivy League, preppy.” ‘ However,”
she added, I don’t think a wimp
would be in politics and survive.”
Miss Walters, when asked about
the ABC program 20-20 said that
she enjoys this work very much.
“It makes a difference in people’s
lives’. We are more in tune to
making a difference in people’s
lives than ‘60 Minutes’, she said, ‘60
Minutes’ is more confrontational.”
This reporter asked about Jesse
Jackson; whether or not she saw
him as a viable future candidate.
Miss Walters replied that she finds
Jesse ‘‘fascinating’’. bi
‘““He’s young enough to be around
for 8 or 12 more years. It’s hard to
say what will happen in four years,
but after this year’s Michigan pri-
mary he proved his viability.
Whether some of the baggage he
carries will hinder him I don’t
know, but this is a man who one
day could be president”.
On Jackson as a Dukakis running
mate, she said she was not a
“political oracle, and according to
news department policy we are not
supposed to give out political opin-
ions which is a great cop out”.
At this point in the conference,
aides told Miss Walters that she
had only seven minutes until her
lecture, but she seemed to be
enjoying herself and shooed them
away saying, “I don’t have to
rehearse anything.”’ Her cordiality
charmed this reporter.
On her toughtest interview, she
immediately said comedians were
the toughest because it’s very
tough to break through because
they are mostly rehearsed, Walters
said.
She planned to speak on a variety
of people whom she interviewed
including Katherine Hepburn, Stal-
lone, Margaret Thatcher, Jesse
Jackson and Sean Connery. Her
topic would be the need for reach-
ing out, for relationships. )
Miss Walters loves to speak with
politicians and celebrities on a per-
sonal level. To get beyond the
image and glitter. Her personality
reflects this intimacy, and it was a
distinct pleasure for this reporter
to have had the opportunikty to
meet her. :
Variance with conditions granted to Shaskas
The Dallas Borough Zoning
Board recently granted Dallas
Veterinarian John R. Shaskus’
request for a variance for his prop-
erty on Machell Avenue. The vari-
ance was granted, however, with
two stipulations, one that the ken-
nels at the Dallas Veterinary Clinic
be soundproofed, and, two, that
there would be no animals buried
in the backyard at the clinic.
A spokesman at the clinic said
that there have been no animals
buried on the premises in recent
years so that is no problem and
that the kennels will be sound
proofed in addition to the entrance,
being completed.
The variance was requested by
Shaskas following objections by one
or more individuals concerning the
new, enclosed entranceway, Shas-
kas was having constructed on the
front of the building.
The purpose of the entrance was
to make it more convenient for
individuals bringing their pets for
treatment. It eliminates the necess-
ity of carrying animals down the
steep steps as they had to do in the
past and since the new entrance is
enclosed, it protects the owner and
the animal from inclement
weather.
Following the complaints that the
entrance was not in keeping with
the borough zoning ordinances,
Shaskas halted the construction
until the zoning board handed down
its decision.