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BRIGHTON BINDERY CO
BOX 334
BRIGHTON, Ia
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Vol. 99, No. 35
26th Luzerne County
fair starts Wednesday
By SARA J. LUNDBERG
Managing Editor
There will be something for
everyone at the Luzerne County
Fair this week. The fair, which
lasts from September 7 to Septem-
ber 11, marks its 26th year of fund
raising events and entertainment to
benefit the Luzerne County Fair-
1,
Whe fairgrounds will be filled
with exhibitors, arts and crafts
items, amusement rides, entertain-
ment, livestock displays, and other
attractions. There will be a Miss
Luzerne County Fair Contest on
Saturday and senior citizens and
children will receive special dis-
counts (check times and dates on
schedule). Depending on the
weather, the fair is expected to
draw 30,000 to 40,000 people. Each
person will pay a reasonable $3.00
entry fee into the fairgrounds, and
parking is free.
Day by day fair
schedule on page 2
Fair Chairman Hugh Woodward,
a Dallas resident, said that profits
from the fair go into the operations
of the fairgrounds, as well as back
into the community through the
participation of non-profit organiza-
tions. Non-profit organizations are
See Fair, pg 2
Preliminary hearing for
arson suspect this week
A preliminary hearing for arson
{@pect John Tibus has been sched-
¥Zd to take place before District
Justice Earl Gregory Thursday,
September 8th at 10:00 a.m. Tibus
faces charges of arson, endanger-
ing persons and property and crim-
inal mischief. He will be repre-
sented by Public Defender John
Blum.
A former volunteer with the
Trucksville Fire Department, 29
year old John Tibus was arrested
August 22 in connection with an
arson fire which gutted his neigh-
8: barn in Kingston Township.
Pribus admitted setting the August
14th fire that caused $100,000 in
damages to -his neighbor Robert
g@einer’s barn on Mt. Olivet Road
Kingston Township, and he now
faces additional charges from a
previous unsuccessful attempt in
June of 1987 to torch the barn.
Tibus was arraigned again last
Wednesday, August 31, before Jus-
tice Gregory on charges relating to
the 1987 incident and charged with
arson and related offenses, reckless
burning, and criminal attempt to
commit arson. Gregory added $1000
‘to the $100,000 bail imposed at the
date of the August 22 arrest and
ordered Tibus returned to the Luz-
erne County Correctional Facility
for imprisonment.
Tibus had admitted to trying to
set fire to Steiner’s barn in June of
1987 at the time of his arrest in
August.
The day of his arrest Tibus also
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
August 14th fire which destroyed
Robert Steiner’s barn in order to
get even with Steiner whose daugh-
ter 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.
Wednesday, September 7, 1988
School’s in
Back Mountain schools opened this week for the 1988-89
year. Yellow buses will now be a common sight on area
roads. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek)
Ryan says planning group
hopes to move ahead
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Writer
Several weeks have gone by since
the second meeting of Back Moun-
tain citizens concerning growth and
‘development isues, but Dr. James
Ryan of Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Campus said Friday the steering
committee has not put the topic
aside.
“We have compiled all the rec-
ommendations and concerns from
the individuals attending the meet-
ing and have been evaluating
them,” Ryan said.
“The next step is to form discus-
sion groups of approximately 10
persons in each group to review the
various issues. We have been hold-
ing off until after Labor Day since
so many residents plan their final
weeks of vacation around this time.
See Plan, pg 2
25 Cents
Water committee
votes to form
By SARA J. LUNDBERG
Managing Editor
A Back Mountain regional water
commission may soon become a
reality, but what direction it will
take and what effect the advisory
body will have on area water issues
and problems has yet to be defined.
Fifteen representatives from
eight municipalities in the Back
Mountain voted to form a joint
water commission at a meeting last
Thursday, September 1. The deci-
sion came at a meeting of the ad
hoc committee which was formed
in July as a vehicle for bringing
area municipalities together in dis-
cussion of water problems and
development concerns.
The committee is attempting to
gain official status for the forma-
tion of a Back Mountain water
commission. A final meeting of the
ad hoc committee will take place
‘regional group
September 22. Before that time
each member of the ad hoc com-
mittee will attempt to obtain a
resolution from their respective
governing bodies granting partici-
pation in the Commission. Each
participating municipality will
appoint one designated representa-
tive, as well as an alternate, to
serve on the commission.
The eight municipalities involved
are: Lake, Dallas, Franklin, Jack-
son, Lehman, and Kingston town-
ships, Dallas and Harveys Lake
boroughs.
“I imagine that I will be back
representing the township on the
Water Commission,”’ said Joy
Daubert, Franklin Township Secre-
tary and Tax Collector.
Daubert is a member of the ad-
hoc committee, and thinks the
Water Commission could serve as
valuable forum for studying water
See Water, pg 2
Some water rates going
up, others will go down
A recent Public Utility Commis-
sion (PUC) ruling will result in
lower water rates for customers of
four Pennsylvania Gas and Water
(PG&W) Companies in the Back
Mountain area.
The state PUC announced at a
September 1 ruling that it had
preliminarily rejected the $8.7 mil-
lion rate hike request made by the
Pennsylvania Gas and Water Com-
pany. PG&W based its request on
the fact that it has built three
filtration plants in Scranton.
According to a spokesperson for
the PUC, the rate increase was
refused on the ground that the
water quality of PG&W is substand-
ard.
The ruling also included action on
a 1986 PUC order that PG&W
establish uniform rates throughout
its system in the Springbrook area
which includes Wilkes-Barre and
the Back Mountain. An agreement
was made between PUC and
PG&W to impose a rate decrease
for the Trucksville, Kingston-Shav-
ertown, Hillcrest, and Hemesite
water companies effective Septem-
ber 30th.
Customers for the four PG&W
companies can expect the following
decreases: Trucksville Water Com-
pany average customer’s bill for
using 4,227 gallons per month will
decrease 30.7 percent from $22.47 to
$15.57 per month; Shavertown-
Kingston Water Company average
customer’s bill using 4,300 gallons
per month will decrease 4.3 percent
from $16.45 to $15.75 per month;
See Rates, pg 2
Construction projects blossoming in Dallas
Bluff’s Pointe to offer
35 townhouse units
Meadows
apartments
nearly done
@ SARA J. LUNDBERG
Managing Editor
People are already lining up fora
place at the The Hi-Meadows Apart-
ments complex in Dallas which is
in the finishing stages of construc-
tion and should be completed by
November. These apartments are
part of the Meadows Complex that
also contain the Meadows Nursing
Center and Meadows Apartments
for low income elderly.
The Hi-Meadows Apartments are
for low and moderate income eld-
erly with rentals subsidized through
the Farmer's Home Administration
(FmHa), Rural Rental Housing
Program. The Apartments are
owned and operated by Ecumeni-
cal Enterprizes, Inc. (EEI), a non-
profit corporation sponsored by the
t Presbyterian Church of
Wilkes-Barre, the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Scranton, the Jewish
Federation of Greater Wilkes-Barre,
and the Metropolitan Lutheran
Council of Wyoming Valley.
Three hundred people are cur-
rently on a waiting list for resi-
dency at the 42 unit apartinent
complex, according to Ray Condo,
the Executive Director of Ecumeni-
cal Enterprises, Inc.
All applicants must be 62 years
of age or older, or in the case of a
married couple, either spouse must
be at least age 62. Handicapped
and disabled persons may also be
eligible. Individual or family in-
come must be in the range of
$12,000 to $23,000.
“The apartments are designed
forindependent living,” said Condo.
There is not a direct tie-in for
See Meadows, pg 2
Building
Several construction jobs are
going on in Dallas now.
Above right; the Hi-Meadows
apartments arenearly ready.
Right; Frank Swanek over-
sees his company’s masonry
work on the Weis Market
addition. (Photos by Char-
lotte Bartizek)
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Writer
Thirty five townhouse units are
under construction on top of the hill
above Memorial Highway below the
Stone Hedge area in Dallas Town-
ship. The project, opened by
Michael Development, Inc., will be
named Bluff’s Pointe.
Construction of townhouses has
begun, with forms for the founda-
tion footers put in over the past
weekend. Contractor Mark Sobeck
expects to have some of the units
ready for occupancy by December.
Seven buildings providing homes
for 35 families will complete the
first of two sections planned for the
seven acre development.
The buildings will encircle an
oval landscaped area with parking
and recreation space. Each town-
house will have two floors and will
Offices ready
for occupancy
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Writer
contain two baths, jacuzzi, three
bedrooms, livingroom, dining area,
kitchen, and a basement.
The townhouses are not to be
rented by the developer but will be
sold to individual owners. Some
individuals have already indicated
an interest in purchasing one or
more of the units.
Sobeck is planning to put up the
outside shells of the five unit build-
ings before the cold weather. This
will enable him to work on the
inside during the winter months.
All utility services will be under-
ground including gas; electricity,
cable, sewage and telephone.
Weis Markets
expanding
Weis Markets, Inc. is presently
working on an expansion of its
store on Route 309 in Dallas. 12,000
square feet will be added to the
store to allow for the addition of
several new departments, and to
add shopping space to existing
ones. Planned departments include
a bakery, deli, seafood counter and
floral shop. No completion date for
the work has been announced.
A new office building located on
Memorial Highway in Dallas,
between the car wash and Roth
Jewelry, is completed with the
exception of paving the parking
area.
James Veras, contractor and
builder, stated that it is a profes-
sional office building and is now
ready for occupancy.
There are four units in the build-
ing; one 1500 square feet, two 1000
square feet units, and one 1200
square feet unit.
“If desired,” Veras said, ‘“‘An
individual may rent more than one
unit. A tenant may divide the inte--
rior to suit his or her purposes.”
Inside
The Post
Calendar.........10
Classified........9
Editorials........4
Obituaries........2
People............5
Property Transfers..2
Religion..........6