0 n S n y. a i i oe x = SE 4 287 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 4, 1991 3 Mixed signals on Lake cable TV plan "By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff In the second installment of Harveys Lake Borough Council's _. investigation into starting its own television system, the council heard two tales about the cost of ,. constructing a system. A a special meeting on August ih 928, Conrad Hislop, an independ- _ ent cable television contractor, told k . the council that the borough could » ~ install a cable television System for $364,000. At a meeting on July 31, Hislop had estimated that it would cost the borough $400,000 to construct a system. But Charles Hilderbrand, vice president and general manager for Tele-Media, which currently provides cable service to the bor- ough, said more green should be 1 added to the picture, lots more * green. Hilderbrand estimated that it would cost over a million dollars to install a system identical to Tele-Media's in the borough. Tele-Media has 1,233 borough customers. About 20 residents attended the meeting. fo! yHislop’s proposal called for the construction of a system which would carry 36 channels. He projected a gross revenue of "$300,000 in the first year, with .-, programing costs of $133,000, and . . a first year profit of $166,000. If .. the borough had 1,000 custom- . ers, each customer would have to Yar pay $25 a month to meet Hislop’s ., projection. Hislop's plan also would carry .+ cable TV to homes not currently served by Tele-Media. Robert LaBrugzo, a summer . resident of the borough who said -. he worked on cable systems in ~ New Jersey for 30 years, thought that Hislop’s costs were too low, “and Tele-Media’s too high. “I'd go with the high side,” said LaBrugzo. Ron DeBalko, a borough resi- dagnt who works for a Wilkes-Barre - Jable company, said that the bor- ough would have to attract all of Tele-Media's customers in order . . to make the project cost effective. “If you were to build a company you would need all their subscrib- _ ers just to survive,” said DeBalko. ‘You can’t throw out the old com- —2 . pany and you'll never get all of , their customers. If you were alarge Hi Fopolitan. area and you have a + 4 of subscribers, competition is Wealthy. But they can only give you - - what they get back.” LAMY suggestion to the borough 3 to work with this company and Nv the best deal you can,” said DeBalko.” DeBalko also said that reliable cable technicians would have to be paid more than the $16,640 a year each Hislop budgeted to pay three A consultant projects a $25 monthly charge for 36 channels people. “You just don’t take a person off the street and make them a cable TV technician,” said DeBalko, who added that he was sending a tech- nician to a four-day training semi- nar in North Carolina at a cost of $5,000. DeBalko also mentioned that a bucket truck which would be needed for repairs would cost about $50,000. Hislop budgeted $7,500 for two used trucks, ladders and test equipment. Donald Zagorski, manager of the local Tele-Media office, suggested that the council meet with com- pany officials from Blue Ridge Cable Company, which purchased the Sweet Valley Cable Company that “Hislop constructed. While council members and Tele-Media representatives spent a lot of time discussing whether the company’s cable lines leak signals which interfere with radio frequencies, councilman Joseph Sgarlat admitted that service is not the main issue. “To be honest, I haven't gotten many complaints in the past four years, and when there have been complaints, they've been taken care of,” said Sgarlat, the borough's li- ason to Tele-Media. “Our motiva- tion is not that the company gives us such lousy service we want to start our own company.” Instead, Sgarlat said that the council is interested in construct- ing the system to raise revenues to lower sewer fees or garbage fees. After the hearing, Sgarlat was optimistic about constructing a system. “I see no reason why we couldn't put it in,” said Sgarlat. “I have talked with other people who oper- ate cable companies and they give a very biased opinion. Naturally, they're going to give us negative input.” “Basically, we're gong to look at it to see if we can go with this cable company and at the same time negotiate with Tele-Media and see if we can get a little more for our money,” said Sgarlat. “We're not interested in throwing these people out.” The story is likely to be contin- ued with more meetings to take public input would be needed. “It might be better if something like this was on the ballot,” said Sgarlat. “Everybody I've talked to, this looks favorable, but it’s proba- bly going to take a good two years to put this together.” Save Time ¢ Trouble « Money with a subscription to & The Dallas Post 10% £. Odsbrook 2. Shetertodn, A M-615- 4821 Final Days of Summer Clearance Sale Up to 75% Off Original Price (Jewelry and Gift Items Not Included) Lior 1 at orl ouse Regular Hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 10-5; Sat. 10-4:30 Closed Sun. and Mon. “Mary Ebley floomey wn’ Migs Led Studi Family and Baby Portraits $5.00 OFF Bring In This coupon 4 Arplesy to any Package: arting | at $34.95 145 N Main St., Shavertown 675-6998 Call for appointments OFF AND RUNNING - Kevin Augustine of Wyoming was one of many Back Mountain contestants in the Greater Wilkes-Barre Triathlon September 1. He was the fifth local finisher overall. (Post Photo/Eric Foster) Dallas Kiwanis welcomes members The Dallas Kiwanis Club welcomes Fred Sweinberg a new mem- ber in their continued community service program. From left, George McCutcheon, installation member; Bruce Renard, sponsor; Fred Sweinberg, Charlie Kishbaugh, president. Fall Sale of Entertainment Units Triathlon (continued from page 1) The first team to finish the race was ‘the Rayco team based from Harveys Lake, with Mike Peucar swimming, Mike Budjnoski biking and Bill Hurst running. Other Back Mountain teams which finished included: STRIKE FAST, Sweet Valley, with Gina Gluchowski, Charlie Jacoby, and Gina Gluchowski GINOCHETTI TEAM, Dallas, with Wayne Dombrowski, Dale Shoemaker, Patricia Gin PENN STATE PROUD, Dallas, with Kelly Kavanagh, John Soboc- inski, Kelly Kavanagh : COONEY, Dallas," with Jamie Ragukonis, Art Spears, Tara Cooney NABISCO BRANDS, Bunker Hill, with Frank Peterson, Anthony Tomcyk, Cathy Sheridan W-B GENERAL HOSPITAL, Dallas, with Tara Rinaldi, Kevin Santry, Clay O'Connor DALLAS DOCS, Dallas, with John DeCaprio, Bill Burak, Mark Polin POT LUCK, Dallas, with Jane Artmont, Mark Belenski, Edith Hennebaul MICHAELS, with Aliza Michaels, Andrea Issac, Suzanne Gaynor WILLS, Dallas, with Brad Eck- ert, Brad Eckert, Mike Wills FIRST TIMERS, Harveys Lake, David Gutkowski, JensKidt, Daniel Austin THREE STARS, Dallas, with John Menio, William Rusin, Juan De Rojas MOBILE HOLMES, Shaver- town, with Anne Holmes, David Holmes, Thomas Holmes SMULOWITZ, Harveys Lake, Beach with Kenneth Schineller, Quinton Stemler, John Smulowitz RITTENHOUSE, Shavertown, with Patrice Persico, Maureen Van Bloem, Daniel Rittenhouse TRIFECTA, Dallas, with Joan Byron, Liz Fronheiser, Michelle Cefalo CAVANAUGH, Harveys Lake, with Sharon Britt, James Dun- leavy, Chris Cavanaugh NICK OF TIME, Dallas, with Andrea Harris, Debbie Tarvin, Kim Koehl PRO TEAM 91, Dallas, with Bryan Rodeghiero, Frank Ol- shemski, John Prater MCGRATH, Shavertown, with Janine Flora, Sean McGrath, Tho- mas McGrath MEDICINE SHOP, Harvéys Lake, with Butch Freeman, Rob Kuschke, Frank Butcofski i GOLDWEIN, Dallas, with Pat Wingert, Lisa Burak, Sherry Goldwein RUSTY, Wyoming, with Rusty Flack, Scott Burnside, Chip Siegel GLAD 2 B ALIVE, Dallas, with Tom Williams. Barrv Taylor, John Manka KENNY DOIT, Shavertown, with Steven Rothstein, Dave Daris, Chip Koehl DOMBROSKI, Harveys Lake, with Maureen Devine, Lynn Ryan, Bonnie Dombroski THREE OF US, Dallas, with Maura Kratz, Jane Cummings, An Marie Fowler TEAM TRI-ING, Dallas, with Brian Jackson, Paul Yeager, Francis Houston FAT, FAST AND OVER 40, Dallas, with Duane Kersteen, Jack Wartella, David Roberts (continued from page 1) as a last resort to open the beach. “We're like a family, and like all large families, we sometimes have arguments,” said Ed. Bilder on taking office. Other officers chosen were Jim Drury, vice president, and Cather- ine Kearney, secretary. Board members elected were, for three year terms, Becky Casterline, Vincent Simonds, Mary Fisher; for two years, Bill Kearney, Tom Mul- lavage, Norris McGowan; for one the labor and materials needed to construct restrooms at the beach, the lack of which is one of the reasons that it was closed. Gloria Bilder said that the state's Depart- ment of Community Affairs would pay for a lifeguard if the lifeguard came from a low-income home. Gloria Bilder also said that they have found an insurance carrier for liability insurance which would cover the beach for $2,500 to $5,000 a year, for liability ranging year, Sharon Britt, William Voll- from $300,000 to $1 million. rath, and Norm Timko. Timko was the only board The association will meet again member who was re-elected. later this month, with the mem- Bilder said that they have found bers being notified of the time and people who would donate most of place by mail. PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE Its what youve wanted all along, and Wall Systems at Town & Country 40° OFF Migrs. 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