Nl dE Pd St’ punked? APC 0% ld Ee BREE A. 188 Thy 2 Ee L C id that a leak was found in one of “(he tanks and it was removed. The - XS So~ %%’ ZN Rd Vol. 101 No. 22 Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 6, 1990 35 Cents By CHARLOT M. DENMON and RICH JOHNSON Staff writers Sunday's fatal crash involving a Dallas Borough fire truck hits close to home for members of Back Mountain emergency crews. “My fire company doesn’t meet for another two weeks but I am already preparing a program to review safety procedures,” said Sev Newberry, Lake Silkworth Fire Chief Tuesday. Most emergency personnel in the area are giving their sympathy to both the family of the woman who was killed in the accident and Tragedy touches emergency crews to Al Shaffer, the driver of the fire truck. “I feel sorry for everyone involved,” said Kingston Township Police Chief Paul Sabol. “You have to feel for Shaffer and for the woman's family.” Sabol said that the incident was very unfortunate since fire crews are there to help the community, but they should also always pro- ceed with caution. “My heart goes out to them because they are con- cerned with the community, but they should also remember that we have to use common sense and caution.” See TRAGEDY, pg 3 Gas station yanks its leaky tanks By RICH JOHNSON Staff Writer The Hess gas station located along Route 309 in Dallas Bor- ough is in the process of being cleaned up after it was discovered one of its gas tanks was leaking. Emergency officials checked the station after gas fumes were no- ticed last month. After that inves-. tigation officials from the station and the Department of Environ- mental Resources were scheduled drain one of the tanks, excavate , and check it for leaks. Bi of . DER officers and Hess officials were not available Tuesday for omment, but workers at the site ~ workmen also said that four new tanks are being installed at the station. Some of the soil that was around the tank is also being removed as it too is contaminated, according to the workers. Man suffers burns in fire By RICH JOHNSON Staff Writer One person was injured at a fire YU last week at Lake Silkworth and fire fighters suffered heat exhaus- tion at a weekend fire in Shaver- town. A Lake Silkworth man remains in “critical condition at a burn treatment center near Philadel- phia after a fire at his residence. William Boltz, 55, was burned See FIRES, pg 3 Calendar................ 16 Classified......... 13-15 Editorials................. 4 Obituaries............... 2 Police Report......... 2 Property Transfers..8 School............. 11-12 Coming up: BACK MOUNTAIN WATER COMMISSION - Thurs., June 7,8 PM, Kingston Twp. Municipal Bldg. DALLAS SCHOOL BOARD Mon., ‘June 11, 8: PM, Administration Bldg., Church Street JACKSON TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY -Mon., June 11, 7 PM, Jackson Fire Hall KINGSTON TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS - Wed., June 13, 8 PM, Kingston Township Municipal Bldg. LAKE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS - Sat., June 9, 9 AM, Lake Twp. Municipal bldg., Route 29 North ; LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL BOARD - Tues., June 12, 8 PM LEHMAN TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS - Mon., June 11, 8 PM, Lehman Twp. Municipal Bldg. LIFE FLIGHTING A VICTIM — Nine-year-old Jack Dunaj, Jr. was taken by a Geisinger Life Flight helicopter to Community Medical Center in Scranton after a collision Sunday between a Dallas fire truck and the car in which he was riding. He was listed in critical condition. | ake-Lehman graduation Friday By CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer The guest speaker at Lake- Lehman High School's graduation, June 8, will be JoAnn Ralphs, Esq., of California, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Zaleskas. Ralphs is a graduate of Lake-Lehman High School and her appearance as speaker this school year has double importance since Zaleskas is retir- ing as senior high principal effec- tive June 30. The graduation will be in the Edward H. Edwards Stadium, Fri- day, June 8, at 6 p.m., weather permitting. In the event of inclem- ent weather, the 32nd Annual Commencement will be held in- side. Rev. W. William Kennard, pas- Harveys Lake zoners OK controversial residence By RICH JOHNSON Staff Writer The Harveys Lake Zoning Hear- ing Board has approved an appli- cation for an occupancy permit for a family who has built a controver- sial new residence in the borough. At last week's hearing, the board overturned a decision by former building inspector Ron DeBalko concerning the building, owned by Mary Sulewski along a property at ~ Point Breeze. DeBalko said he previously rejected an occupancy permit because he felt the building was not consistent with single family dwellings. The Sulewski family had asked for the hearing so they could get an occupancy permit for the house. The house has five separate living areas, including individual electric meters But some neighbors were opposed to giving the permit because they felt the house did not conform to the requirements of the building permit. The building permit was issued for a single dwelling unit, but the neighbors said that the building looks as though it can be used as a multi-family dwelling unit. Evan Jenkins, a son-in-law of See RESIDENCE, pg 5 tor of the Alderson United Method- ist Church, will deliver the invoca- tion and benediction. Denise Thompson, vice presi- dent of the senior class, will extend greetings and a welcome to par- ents and friends and Molly White, president of the student council, will offer a few brief remarks. Following a selection by the Lake-Lehman Band, Robert O. Roberts, assistant principal, will See GRADUATION, pg 5 Was 'due caution’ exercised is key accident By CHARLOT M. DENMON Staff Writer Whether or not Dallas fireman Alvin Shaffer, driver of the fire truck that collided with a car Sunday; “proceeded with caution” through an intersection may be the decid- ing factor in placing responsibility for the fatal accident. Witnesses say Shaffer engaged the truck's warning lights and siren as re- quired by law, and slowed down going through the intersection, but state police trooper William Ross, who is in charge of the investiga- tion, said the question is whether he was careful enough. Also relevant to the investiga- tion is whether Ruth Dunaj, who was driving the car, yielded to the emergency vehicle as the law in the motor code states a driver should, according to Ross. “It is not my job to place guilt, that is up to the D.A.'s office,” Ross replied when asked to offer an opinion on the case. “I have completed my investiga- tion of the accident which occurred at 6:55 p.m., at the intersection of Route 415 and Church Street in Dallas Borough. Now I will prepare it and turn it over to the district attorney's office and it is up to them to decide what charges, if question any, to file. Charges, if any, could range from a summary traffic cita- tion to vehicular homicide,” Ross sated Tuesday. Ruth Dunaj was killed in the accident and had to be removed from the vehicle by Kingston Town- ship rescue squad with the jaws of life. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Sam Glassner, attending doctor with the Life- Flight. Her nine-year-old sonJohn, Jr. was air-lifted to Community Medical Center in Scranton, where he isin critical condition with inter- nal injuries. Other occupants of the car were the deceased woman's “husband, John, 41, who suffered minor bumps and bruises; daugh- ter, Michelle, 12 and son Joseph, 5, both treated and released at Community Medical Center Sun- day. Dunaj was traveling north on Route 415 at the intersection with Church Street. The fire truck had left the fire hall to respond to a call at Ryman Road and Eddinger with its lights and siren engaged. The units collided with the truck strik- ing the left side of the car. The 40,000 pound truck then pushed the small car east approximately | 120 feet on Church Street coming | See ACCIDENT, pg3 Jackson Twp. will ask Casey to close landfill Fear of leachate in Wadhams Creek By RICH JOHNSON Staff Writer The Jackson Township Super- visors will be sending a resolution to Governor Casey asking for help in cleaning up the West Side Landfill in Plymouth. At Monday's meeting of the supervisors, Solicitor Blythe Evans told the board that he toured “Mount Trashmore” at the landfill along with Dr. Brian Redmond, a - hydrogeologist. In that tour, Red- mond said that because the huge pile of garbage is 50 feet off line, garbage juice is leaking and it could end up running into Wadhams Creek. Evans said that Jackson Town- ship should show the government that it is taking a stand to have the landfill closed and cleaned up as soon as possible, “The garbage juice could eventually affect our water supplies and we need to look down the road as a preventative meas- ure,” said Evans. “We have noth- ing to lose by sending this to Har- risburg. It will let them know we are concerned,” added Evans. The resolution sent by the board says that Mount Trashmore repre- sents 500,000 - 600,000 cubic yards of garbage that is loosely compacted and that garbage could slide into Wadhams Creek Basin with a large rainfall. The resolution asks the gover- nor to declare the landfill a disas- ter and an emergency situation. It also asks that the National Guard be instructed to make equipment available for the cleanup. In other business, the supervi- SOrS: : sAnnounced that the township planning commission is working with planner Marlene Pawlowski in an effort to find a compromise on a proposal to change the town- ships zoning map. eFilled two positions on the planning commission. Diane Ush- inski was appointed to another term and supervisor Thomas Adams was appointed to replace Ed Chesnovitch whose term ex- pired. Adams was appointed be- cause the supervisors felt they needed to have a closer working condition with the planning com- mission. eInstructed the solicitor to draft a motion to show the township's support for the proposed 911 emergency system for the Back Mountain Area. -eUrged residents to sign a peti- tion to be sent to state representa- tives asking for help in eliminating toll charges for phone calls made between Jackson Township and Plymouth. SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY — This home owned by Mary Sulewski was the center of much debate at the last two hearing of the Harveys Lake Zoning Board. At last week's meeting the board overruled a decision by former zoning officer Ron DeBalko and said that the owners of the building could obtain an occupancy permit once all the work is completed properly. The controversy came about when neigh- bors complained that the house would not be used as a single family unit. (Photo by Rich Johnson)
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