Te wg — [— Sora Sr A Sr AB He SRP te. Luzerne County Fair 4-H winners pg. 15 Dallas, PA Weanesday, September 11, 1991 35 Cents A | By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff The state's felony charges of homicide by water- craft and homicide by watercraft while under the influence passed their first test in Luzerne County ata preliminary hearing for Gregg Hanson Septem- ber 3. z Hanson, 31, of Harveys Lake, was driving a WM otorboat which was towing water skier Richard “Walter on July 27 when at about 7:30 p.m., Walter struck a dock and was killed. Hanson will also face charges of reckless and negligent operation of a watercraft, operation while under the influerice, causing a skier to hit a fixed object, operating too fast within 100 feet ofa dock, and not having a throwable life-saving device on the boat. District Justice Earl Gregory of Shavertown dismissed charges of towing a skier without an observer and not having registration in the boat. The charge of homicide by watercraft was cre- ated after four people were killed while dng ina boat at Harveys Lake in 1983. In that crash, Denis Abromavage of Pittston was driving a boat that ran over a smaller boat, killing four passengers in the smaller craft. Hanson's blood alcohol level measured after the accident was .16 percent, higher than the .10 percent considered legally drunk in Pennsylvania. A blood sample of Richard Walter showed a .02 percent blood alcohol level. Unlike motorists, drivers of boats may drink alcohol while operating their craft as long as they are not legally intoxicated. A Precedent “This is the first time the law has been applied in the Northeast Region,” said Kerry Messerle, Region Manager of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. “It has been used elsewhere in the state, but it has not been used for aboat pulling a skier. It's only a test because it's involving a skier. We've had cases where a boater hit a swimmer or another boat, but we don’t have any instances with a skier ter or skier? Who is. responsible will be key to trial being pulled.” According toJim Smith, assistant director of the Fish Commission's Bureau of Law Enforcement in Harrisburg, the charge of homicide by watercraft has been used at least a half dozen times since its inception. Smith said all of the prosecutions have been successful. While Justice Gregory did send the two homicide charges to county court, Defense Attorney Mark Mack put up a spirited fight to have them dropped during the seven-hour-long hearing. Mack argued that Richard Walter was respon- sible for the accident, that he chose to ski close to See TRIAL, pg 2 Fair Royalty “ 1991 Luzerne County Fair queen Laura Musto, 17 of Pittston, stands at right after the competition Thursday evening. On the left is » queen runner-up Angela Patla, 18, of Sweet Valley, and in the a sets records for attendance, exhibitors By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff It was the biggest Luzerne County Fair ever this year. The 1991 fair smashed its attendence record of 30,000 set last . year, with approximately 50,000 people crowding through the gates . from September 4 to 8. "There also was a record 45 exhibitors under cover, 5,000 entries in the arts and crafts competitions, more than 130 cattle entered for judging, and horse shows every day. . “We have over 500 volunteers. I would like to thank the volun- teers for the excellent job they've done,” said fair chairman Ed Kelly. “The volunteers did a fantastic job. We had great traffic control, ticket control, work on the grounds. This is what it takes to make a fair.” The exhibitors are also evidenily happy with the fair, as 80 Id this be a new See FAIR, pg 6 Could this nackage for animal feed? By ERIC FOSTER Calendar........... 16 Police repont................. 2 Post Staff Cassio ied 13-15 Property Transfers........... 2 Officials from Kingston Town- Editoria Siciicciiiiin 4 School ERE SN I Tr AN LE RT 1 2 ship, Dallas Township and Dallas i Obituaries.......... 13 SPOS... 11 Borough have scheduled a closed i meeting on September 16 to dis- ’ cuss possible solutions to resi- ; Community Events dents’ complaints about the waste hauling plan instituted by the RUMMAGE SALE -Wed., Thurs., Sept 11-12, 9:30 AM-2 PM, Prince Dallas Area Municipal Authority of Peace Episcopal Church, Main St., Dallas. FALL FESTIVAL - Sat., Sept. 14, 10 'AM-4 PM, East Dallas U.M. Church, Lower Demunds Rd. Bake sale, new and used goods, refreshments. CHICKEN BARBECUE - Sat., Sept. 14, 4:30-7:30 PM, Jackson U:M. Church, Smith Pond Rd., Jackson Twp. Adults $5.50, children 10. and under $3.50. TURKEY SUPPER - Sat., Sept. 14, 4:30-7:00 PM, Loyalville U.M. Church, Loyalville Rd. off. Rt. 118. $4.75 per person, under 6 free. HAM AND EGG BREAKFAST - Sun., Sept. 15, 8AM-12:30 PM, Our Lady of Victory Church, Harveys Lake. Adults $4.00, children $2.75, under 5 free. CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff : The newly-formed Back Moun- tain Citizens, Residents and Tax- payers Association will be using a softer strategy to protest the Dal- las Area Municipal Authority's waste collection program. At the association's meeting Sep- tember 8, leaders asked members center is 1990 Luzerne County Fair Queen Janine Chest. Patla | graduated from Lake Lehman High School in June. More fair photos are on page 6. (Post Photo/Charlotte Bartizek) Dallas wants to keep state money By CHARLOT M. DENMON Post Staff Dallas School District will apply to the Department of Education for approval to keep the $130,000 increased funding it received from the new state budget, the school board decided at its September 9 meeting. The school board approved the resolution that the district apply for the waiver after Superinten- dent Gerald Wycallis explained that under Act 25 school districts had the option of rebating to taxpayers or, if this were not economically . feasible, applying for approval to kéep the money to reinstate pro- grams or to pay for classroom supplies. : Wycallis said he doubted if the district would get the waiver since the Department of Education was clear in its statement that addi- tional funds must be rebated un- ’ less the cost of doing so was too high. Business Manager Charlotte Williams explained that it would cost the district $25,000 to rebate the $130,000, which would amount to approximately $2.40 for each $1,000in assessed property value. Wycallis asked the board if the district does not receive the waiver whether they wanted to rebate on the per capita tax or the property tax. The board members agreed unanimously that the rebate should be on the property tax. See MONEY, pg 3 No action in teacher talks By CHARLOT M. DENMON Post Staff Teachers in the Dallas School District are working under an extension of their recently-expired contract as teachers’ union and admini- stration representatives try to hammer out a new agreement. But according to school board members, there has been no movement toward an accord. “The District's negotiating committee met with the teacher's bargaining commit- tee September 5 for 4 1/2 See TEACHER, pg 3 Sandsdale Farms battles back By ERIC FOSTER Post Staff If bales of hay were packaged like breakfast cereal, cows like Ralph Sands’ 4-year-old Jay would be featured on the front of the box. Jay, a massive black and white patched 1,400 pound Holstein cow, won the Supreme Champion tro- phy in the Luzerne County Fair's Cattle Judging contest September 6. : Sandsdale Farm, run by Sands with his wife Marion gnd daughter Harriet, took eleven first places in the judging, which lasted four and a half hours. More than 130 cattle represent- ing six breeds were entered in the contests. Proud owners led the animals around the small saw (DAMA). Complaints about the program have included that the cost of $135 per year is more than some were paying, and that residents are no longer allowed to choose their own hauler. According toattorney BenJones, solicitor for Kingston Township and DAMA, the meeting is not in viola- tion of the state's Sunshine Laws - “People tell me we look rowdy.” Frank Gelsleichter Newly-elected officer of group protesting DAMA trash program to take a calmer, more professional approach. An exceptional cow will produce 25,000 an arson fire burned Sands’ barn pounds of milk a year, versus 9,000 pounds in 1960. dust-covered ring under a red and white striped tent, as the judge, Glenn Tripp of Little Gennesse, N.Y, picked the best. “This is the best day we've had in many a year,” said Sands to a friend after the day's competition. On Wednesday, the fair’s open- ing night, the cattle barn on the fairgrounds was dedicated to Ralph Sands, who has been the fairs livestock supervisor for seven because there will not be a quorum of representatives from any single municipality. “The whole purpose of the meet- ing is toaddress the concerns thus far,” said Jeffrey Box, Kingston Township manager. “No official action can or will be taken. This issue should be, are the munici- palities and the municipal leaders sincerely looking at the complaints “People tell me we look rowdy,” said Frank Gelsleichter, of Dallas Township, to the nearly 100 people in attendance. Gelsleichter was elected an offi- cer of the organization, along with Dave Moser of Dallas Township, Mary Gillis of Kingston Township, and Jackie Zukosky, a Kingston Township property owner. “Talk low, make them listen,” years. It was a day that was worked long and hard for. Less than four years ago, on December 12, 1987, : in Kingston Township. Eleven cows were killed that day, while many of the surviving cows died later from smoke inhalation. Jay was one year old at the time of the fire. “She was one of the lucky ones to get out,” said Sands. “Nine got out of the fire. The youngsters we put out for the winter. Those were all we had. I had to borrow money to purchase animals.” Besides the animals, $250,000 worth of equipment was lost in the blaze. The arsonist, believed to have See SANDSDALE, pg 5 Officials will discuss changes to trash pian! to determine if changes are neces- sary in the program.’ Questions have been raised about the legality of closing the meeting to the public, butan attor- ney who advises the news media says it is probably acceptable to do so. “I'd say that they don't have to See CHANGES, pg 2 Trash pact protesters plan to tone down their act said Gelsleichter. “Ifyoushout then you look like rowdy people. We want to look like the professionals and have them be the amateurs.” “We want everybody to go to their regular monthly meetings so we know what we're doing,” said Zukosky. “We do want to be professional,” See TRASH, pg 2
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