Vol. 99 No. 41 Water group will survey wells In area BY CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer Representatives from six of the eight Back Mountain municipalities attended the Back Mountain Water Commission Thursday, October 13, agreed that one of the first orders of business should be to inventory private and public wells in the re- gion. Doug Ide of Lehman Township will be in charge of obtaining logs of wells installed many years ago. Jim Ward, Kingston Township, will talk with commission representative Dr. Brian Redmond about organizing a group of Wilkes College work study students to assist in the tabulation. The group will attempt to locate wells and list their age and depth. The meeting opened with election of Ward as chairman; Joseph Salla, Lake Township, vice chairman; and John Molski, Dallas Borough, as secretary-treasurer. Molski and Bob Spencer are rep- resentatives from Dallas Borough; Joe Grimes and Walter Weir, Dallas Township; Charles Balavage and Joseph Salla, Lake Township; Ward and Ellie Rodda, Kingston Town- ship; Joy Daubert, Franklin Town- ship and Doug Ide, Lehman Town- ship. David Abod, Harveys Lake Borough representative, did not attend and Jackson Township has not responded whether or not they will participate in the commission. ise plan halted Page 3 Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 19, 1988 J Back Mountain Real o SERVING THE BACK TST SINCE 1889 Many Back Mountain seniors citizens hot for Democrats Members of the comimission also! = discussed siting of new wells, prob- lems of underground storage tanks and waste disposal areas. The commission discussed the fact that there are private wells that could be contaminated by septic tanks or other contaminants with- out owners being aware of the fact. Grimes suggested that the vari- ous townships and boroughs could start working on ordinances and restrictions requiring new subdivi- sions to hook up to public water systems where possible. Ward ap- pointed Grimes as chairman of a committee to draw up a list of pro- See Water, pg 3 BY CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer In district superintendent Dr. Charles Borchetta’s report to the Lake-Lehman School Board at the October 11 meeting, held at Ross Township School, he stated that the administration has been monitor- When | grow up Sean Donini, Centermoreland, Matt Casey and Brent Eyet, Falls, pay rapt attention to Martin Barry of the Dallas Volunteer Fire Department. The demonstration was arranged by Sr. Stella Maris of the Mercy Center Day Care Center in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Week. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Lake-Lehman High absences down 31% ing the new attendance policy for the senior high school and that it appears to be working. During the month of September, Borchetta said there were 757 total absences in grades nine throtigh 12 as compared t01,099 a year ago, a difference of 342 students. The lat- ter represents an average of 23 students per day in school or an increase of three pertent in student attendance. Dr. Borchetta also reported that the professional staff, during its October 10 in-service day, spent time in small and large group meet- ings discussing changes anticipated, in the next five years in curriculum, teaching and technology and how the changes will impact on the school buildings. ‘The staff now faces the challenge of prioritizing their con- cerns vis-a-vis the group concerns. Jean Holcomb, activities secre- tary at the senior high school , sumitted her retirement resignation effective December 31, 1988, which was accepted by the board. See Absences, pg 2 BY SARA J. LUNDBERG Managing Editor Vice presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen stopped in Wilkes-Barre for a few hours last Saturday and gave a short speech in front of a crowd of approximately 300 area senior citizens. The majority of the senior citizens present that day seemed impressed by the Democrat and the pledges that he made to protect Social Security, Medicare, and other programs; but many Back Mountain seniors who did not at- tend the luncheon have very differ- ent views about the Presidential race, and about politics. When interviewed Monday, resi- dents of Meadows Apartments in Dallas had various opinions on this year's presidential race, but many of the senior citizens interviewed do not plan to vote on election day. “I don't plan to vote this year because I don't care for any of them, but I don't follow politics too much and don't feel I can pass judgment” said a women who asked not to be identified. “They are all crooked, and I don't ~ plan to vote,” said Meadows resi- dent Florence Shivelo. Shivelo said she is a Democrat and is proud of it, but if she doesn't vote she won't complain about who becomes the _ next President of the United States. ‘During his address to the senior citizen audience Saturday, Bentsen told the crowd that Social Security is a creation of the Democratic party, and that Republicans only care about senior citizen's programs in an election year, but at the Mead- ows apartment complex not many seniors take that rhetoric seriously Estate Page 12 25 Cents hb § enough to vote for Governor Mi- chael Dukakis over Vice President George Bush. “I will probably end up on the Bush side, but I'm not sure. If what the candidates are saying in the campaign about each other is true, it's hard to believe. All they seem to do is accuse each other of what the other is doing wrong and that is lousy,” said a long time Back Moun- tain resident who lives at Meadows apartments. Otherresidents said theywouldn't vote for Dukakis because of his views on certain issues such as capital punishment, abortion and gun con- trol. One man said that he would always vote Republican and did not like Dukakis or his principles. Dallas resident Don Williams had a lot to say about politicans and the current state of the country. He categorized all politicians as rich and dishonest, and felt the candi- dates didn't address any important issues in the debates. Williams says he will vote for Lyndon LaRoche, an Independent presidential candidate known for his radical views. “It doesn’t take a genius to be a politician, and LaRoche made more sense to me than the other candi- dates,” said Williams. Meadows resident Bessie Pelton says she has voted for the past 80 years, but doesn’t want to say who she is voting for this year. . “It's a secret,” said Peltor. : Judging from interviews with the senior citizens who live in the Mead- ows apartment complex in Dallas one thing is certain; the enthusias- tic crowd ‘of Democrats who greeted Lloyd Bentsen at Wilkes College last Saturday do not represent the opin- ions of all area seniors. No trial date yet for confessed arsonist An arraignment date has not yet been set for arson suspect John Tibus, a Kingston Township resi- dent who has been charged with arson in connection with a fire that destroyed his neighbor's barn, and Luzerne County District Attorney Corry Stevens says an actual trial may not take place until the begin- ning of next year. Tibus was released from The Luzerne County Correctional Insti- tution in September and returned to his home in Kingston Township after HAVING FUN - Aiba! Gelsleichter, 5, Trucksville and Stanley. Oldenski, 4, Sweet Valley, enjoy outdoor play time at Wee Care day care center in Shavertown. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Day care growing in Back Mountain By SARA J. LUNDBERG Managing Editor Parents who wish to place their children in a day care center in the Back Mountain area have various options available to them, and many day care centers are filling up quickly with kids. ‘I'm sure there could be another bus load of kids waiting to attend this school, but we only have a certain amount of space,” said Barbara Kohler, who is the administer and owner of Little People Day Care School on Huntsville Road in Dallas. Little People in Dallas like many other day care centers in the area, filled up quickly since it's start three years ago. Kohler said she gets inquiries from parents every day asking about the program. “The problem in pre-school and day care placements isn't really the finances or which center has available enrollment space, for many parents the main concern is finding a school with the right philosophy,” said Kohler. Little People has an academic focus with a fairly structured educational program for each age group. A pre-school/nursery and kindergarten are taught by Children have to be at least 2 1/ 2 years old tobe enrolled into the program. Little People’s program includes basic subjects such as language, mathemetics, and social studies, as well as physical development, music and art and crafts periods. The kindergarten classes visit .the library every other week, and also go on field trips to the fire station, circus, movies and other places. “The average day for a child at Little People is more or less structured, but the program is flexible, for instance I wouldn't want the children to have to stay inside studying when the first snow fall of the year arrives,” state certified teachers, and the school works along with area public schools to prepare the children for a smooth transition into the public school system. Kohleroperates from 6:30a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and the services provided include before and after school program, pre-school/ nursery, and kindergarten. The school has a capacity for 54 children. The rates charged depend on the hours of service; for instance a full-time pre- school enrollment costs $55.00 per week but a part-time - an infant room, toddler space, enrollment fee would vary. said Kohler. Wee Care, a day care facility on Center Street in Shavertown, isaslightly different environment from the structured atmosphere of the Little People School. The center is a remodeled home with and a pre-school upstairs; and less formal approach to child care and education. “The thing that makes Wee Care different from other day care centers is our emphasis on the individual needs of the child and family; we aim to provide a consistent environment from the home to the day care center,” said Sharon O'Connell, who is director and partner of the Wee Care center in Shavertown. The Wee Care center gears the daily schedule around the children, and there is a lot of movement and flexibility in the program, said O'Connell. The center's capacity is for 29 children, with the infant rate at $65.00 a week, toddlers (18 months to 3 years) costing $60.00 per week, and pre- schoolers (3 to 5 years old) at $55.00 per week. The pre-school program See Day Care, pg 11 a preliminary hearing before Dis- trict Justice Earl Gregory resulted in a 50 per cent bail reduction from $101,000 to $50,000. When he was arrested on August 22, the 29 year old former volunteer firefighter admitted setting the August 14 fire that caused $100,000 in damages to his neighbor Robert Steiner's barn on Mt. Olivet Road, as well as setting several other fires in Kingston Township, Dallas, Fran- lin Township, and other Luzerne County areas. : Attorney Stevens said he could not comment on whether or not an investigation was underway into Tibus's involvement in other arson fires. He has currently been charged only in connection with the August 14th fire, as well as a previous unsuccessful arson attempt at the same site in June of 1987. An investigation continues by the State Police Fire Marshal's office into more than 20 arson fires which have plagued the Back Mountain in the past two years, said Stevens. Tibus faces charges of arson, endangering persons and property and criminal mischief. He could face a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
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