Vol. 99, No. 34 Wednesday, August 31, 1988 ~ ‘-t £) Not racing These herefords spotted on Hilderbrant Road in Dallas stated that they would be spectators only for this Sunday's triathalon. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Lehman supervisors debate raising building fees The Lehman Township Super- rs held a special meeting last «4iday, and discussed ways to adjust building permit fees and zoning regulations to reflect both or ‘considerations and develop- t concerns in the Township. Supervisor Doug Ide proposed drafting an ordinance for building permit fee schedules based on square footage rather than charg- ing a flat rate as is the current practice. Ide stated that a flat rate charge may not reflect costs asso- ciated with reviewing development applications such as zoning and planning commission hearing fees, paper work, and other costs. The current fee for a building Frit is $30. This applies to Schools open September 7 Schools throughout the Back Mountain will open Wednesday, September 7 with the familiar brightyellow buses traveling roads throughout the area transporting their young passengers to class. Dallas Junior and Senior High School students must be in their & #ussrooms by 8 a.m. and dis- imissal time is 3 p.m. Sophomores will report to the gymnasium for assignment to their homerooms while juniors and seniors will report to homerooms to which they were previously assigned. Students in the junior high will report to assigned areas where they will receive their homeroom numbers. Alphabetical listing generally controls homeroom as- signments. All buses will run on schedule according to times and stops published through the various media. Parents of the elementary stu- dents have been informed in ad- vance of their assigned schools with all students to be in class by 9 a.m. and dismissed at 4 p.m. m?/All new students have received information in advance when they registered for class. Dallas kindergarten classes are half day with some students as- signed to morning sessions and some to afternoon sessions. At Lake-Lehman information has been sent to all students reg- istering in the district for the first time. Junior and senior high school classes begin at 8 a.m. and dis- missal times vary from 3:05 to 3:10 p.m. elementary classes begin at 8:15 a.m. and dismissal time is the same as junior and senior high school. Lake-Lehman School District kindergarten classes run full day sessions. The first day of school, kindergarten students wear color coded tags. The color of the tag matches the color card in the See School, pg 3 ‘ schools, churches and public buildings. Building permit fees for private homes are currently based on the private party's esti- mate of the worth of the home. Zoning Officer Barbara Sims said “Most people that apply for building permits are honest and give the correct estimate of the value of the home, but Ido know of several that are incorrect.” A resident present at the meet- ing questioned if the township would make a profit by hiking building permit fees. Supervisors agreed that the goal of increasing fees was not to make a profit, but cover costs associated with re- viewing subdivision applications. “The current $30 fee charged to schools and other public build- ings doesn't even began to cover the cost of surveyor reports, phone calls and other expenses,” Sims said. Sims mentioned that there might be a more reasonable method of basing building permit fees for public structures other than the projected cost of the building. Officials present did not reach an agreement on the best method for revising permit fees, but all agreed that upgrading fees to reflect costs was neccessary. “I think the rate schedule should take the building category into consideration. A proposed ordi- nance for revision of fees should take into account administrative costs and cover those,” said Lehman Township resident Rob Lewis. Other items discussed at 5 J riday’ s meeting included zoning regulations for commerical pur- poses. Concerns mentioned in- cluded: current setback rules in the business district which do not require sideyard variances; and possible simplification of the cur- rent sign ordinance.The Solicitor said that he would review town- ship ordinances to see how best to approach zoning changes. It was agreed to further dis- cussing revision of building per- mit fees and zoning regulations at the next Supervisor's meeting. FLOOD BABY GROWS UP—DeeDee Mazur, right, born at College Misericordia in 1972, was one of the guests at a Sweet 16 party on the campus Saturday. With her, left to right; her mother, Linda, sister Amy and father, Nick. (Photo by Charlot M. Denmon) ‘Food babies’ feted at Misericordia BY CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer It was an exciting day last Sat- urday when families, Nesbitt Hos- pital employees and staff of Col- lege Misericordia reunited to cele- brate the births of 52 16-year- olds, who were born at the college during the flood of 1972 caused by Hurricane Agnes. In spite of the devastation caused by the flood, the families who attended the party, August 27, had many happy memories and some interesting incidents to recall. While many of the babies born on the College Misericordia cam- pus during the 1972 disaster have moved away from the local area, approximately 25 of the now 16- year-olds and their families were able to celebrate the event . They renewed friendships, enjoyed the # Ir picnic and stayed for the open-air performance of Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” For those not familiar with the 1972 disaster, the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks and as the waters continued to rise, the officials of Nesbitt Memorial Hos- pital contacted Sr.Miriam Teresa O'Donnell, president of the college at that time, and received immedi- ate approval to move an emer- gency hospital into the college's facilities. Within a few hors, Nesbitt Memorial Hospital had established a 100-bed hospital at the College. It was complete with a cardiac care unit, intensive care unit, operat- ing room, emergency treatment room, x-ray department and an obstetrics center. During the time the hospital center remained on the college campus, more than 4,000 persons “ were treated in the emergency room and released. Fifty two newborns, 21 children, 57 persons under 64 years and 101 over 65 years were admitted. Miss Thelma DeWitt was direc- tor of nursing at that time. She recalled that the tore up bed sheets to make a huge white cross on the campus so the helicopters brining in patients and doctors would know where to land. Ms. Dorothy Tribus, obstetrics nurse at Nesbitt Hospital at the time, had a newborn, premature baby in the hospital at the time. In order to save that baby, she wrapped it in plastic and carried it with her to the college. Saturday afternoon, Ms. Tribus was anx- iously awaiting that teenager's arrival for he had sent in a reser- vation. Among the persons on campus, See Flood, pg 3 Lake, Local racers will By CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer Race Director Jerry Kowalski wants this year's 7th Annual Greater Wilkes-Barre Triathlon to be the greatest ever. “We want the race to be ‘the event’, said Jerry. “It's going tobe a triathlon that creates a memory, a race that the triathletes will want to bring their families to, a triath- lon that’s really fun for everyone.” Indeed, this year’s event is more than just a race. The event will be the Triathlon Federation/ USA National Championship for the international course distance. A record field of more than 2,000 triathletes from throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia is expected for the event which begins with the starter’'s gun at 8 a.m., Sunday, September 4. There will be professional athletes competing for $33,500 in prize money as well as amateurs competing for age group national championships. This year's race will have such professionals as Scott Molina, 1986 champion and former Triathlete of the Year; Mike Pigg, 1987 cham- pion, currently ranked number one male triathlete; Liz Bulman, 1986 champion; Colleen Cantion, 1987 champion; former Ironman cham- pion and early founder of the sport, Scott Tinsley; Canadian-born twins, Sylviane and Patricia Pun- tous, who have won many interna- tional events, and also some great teams such as Saucony Triathlon Team, Pioneer Electronics Triath- lon Team, National Triathlon Train- ing Center Team and Team Fox- catcher participating. r Spectators will also be able to cheer for their favorite local ama- teur triathletes for among the amateur entrants are approxi- mately 40 Back Mountain residents representing Trucksville, Shaver- town, Dallas, Kunkle, Harveys Sweet Valley, Lehman, Carverton, Hunlock Creek and Or- ange. Both male and female triath- letes are among those entered from the Back Mountain such as the Kavanaugh family, who have en- tered for years; Andrea Isaac, Bert and Jeanie Kormiel, Wayne Devine, Dr. J.J. Kowalski, Dwight Cum- mins, and John and Jennifer Wartella to name just a few. Dwight Cummins of Kunkle join pros in triathlon Sunday has been participating since 1983, and this year his goal is to finish in the top third. He will run in the male 30 to 34 years age group division. “Last week I ran in a long i distance race in Emmaus and I also did the near-sprint in Tioga,: Cummins said. “Originally, I en- tered because it was a challenge to do it. Now I enter for the enjoy- ment. My goal the first year was to finish and I did. Now my goal is to break the top 100.” : Cummins said he trains by running about 50 miles daily, which is his strong point. He trains some every day, sometimes biking about 120 miles and swimming three or four. He never ran in a marathon. It takes Cummins about two or three days to get back to normal after a race. “In 1983, my wife and | were a team but with a family there wasn’t enough time for both of us to train, so now I do the triathlon alone. The local race is a good event because you are able to compare yourself with some of the best triathletes,” Cummins concluded. John Wartella and his daugh- ter, Jennifer, of Haddonfield Hills, are a father-daughter entry in this year’s triathlon. Jennifer ran in 1987, when she was encouraged by a friend, and she finished, the. race which was her goal.” She is a member of the Dallas i High School field hockey squad and now that hockey practice has started, Jennifer's training sched- ule varies. After practice she swims or sometimes runs as well. She usually bike rides with her dad after his work day. “This is my first time in a tri- athlon,” said John Wartella. “I ran the New York Marathon and when I was in the Marines, I ran the Washington Marathon. Then I began to have leg problems and started to gain weight so I quit. “This year I decided to enter the Triathlon and I have been train- ing by swimming at the YMCA in the morning before going to work, bike about 25 to 32 miles several times weekly but running is my strongest event. Saturday, I usu- ally combine the events—bike, run or swim, combining different ones each time. “My goal this year is two-fold— finish and to beat my daughter by at least one second. Next year I'll try to improve my time,” Wartella said. He will run in the male 35 to See Race, pg 2 Arson hearing may be put off A preliminary hearing for arson suspect John Tibus has been sched- uled to take place before District Justice Earl Gregory at 10:00 Wednesday, August 31, but may be postponed if the owner of the barn that was burned, Robert Steiner, is unable to attend. Tibus will be represented by public defender John Blum. : A former volunteer with the Trucksville Fire Department, 29 year old John Tibus was arrested last week in connection with an arson fire which destroyed his neighbor’s barn in Kingston Town- ship. Tibus was arraigned last Monday, August 22, before Justice Gregory. He faces charges of arson, endangering persons and property and criminal mischief. Gregory set his bail at $100,000 and ordered Tibus imprisoned at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. Tibus, who worked as a janitor at ENCON, Inc in Dallas, was escorted by state police from his workplace the morning of August 22 to Wyoming Police Barracks where he was arrested on charges of arson. Tibus admitted setting the August 14 fire that caused $100,000 in dam- ages to his neighbor Robert Stei- ner’s barn on Mt. Olivet Road in Kingston Township, according to police. The day of his arrest Tibus admitted to setting several other fires in Kingston Township, Dallas, Franklin Township and other Luz- ~ erne County areas. According to state police the possibility of Tibus being involved in other arson cases will be investigated, but he is cur- rently only charged in connection with one fire. According to police records, Tibus admitted to setting the fire in order to get even with Steiner whose daughter hit Tibus’ car. Tibus claimed Steiner would not take responsibilty for fixing the car so he set the fire in retaliation. Tibus claimed he returned to the scene at 2:30 a.m., one half hour after starting the blaze, and helped police direct traffic. Trucksville Fire Chief William Eck could not confirm Tibus’ pres- ence at the scene, but said Tibus appeared at the fire station later that morning. Inside | The Post Calendar........12 Classified........11 Editorials..........4 Obituaries......2 People.......7,8,9 Police News.......2 Property Transfers..2 Religious Services..9 : Sports......... 10 Yu
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