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.