vo... RVING THE BACK MOUNTAIN "he Dallas Post FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY. Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 16, 1992 35 Cents . ® Bans for 8 intersec- tions. Pages 8-9. COMMUNITY Laketon High 50th reunion. Page 6. a hea Candlelight Service at Lehman Methodist. Page 7. COREE Christmas SCEINE€ from yester- year. Page 5. § SPORTS Ted Jackson talks to Santa Claus. Sports page. Seamons ecores 30 as Hozey's upsets Field- house. Bports page. $i en Early deadlines The Dallas Post will publish on Tuesday next week, so allnews and advertising copy must be | in by 4:00 p.m. Friday, i. 1 .December:18.:/0ur office / { will close at 2 p.m. | | December 24. : 16 Pages 1 Section Fel Calendar.............. 12 Classified........ 14-15 Editorials................ 4 Obituaries............ 13 Police report.......... 2 Property transfers..2 School................. 10 SPORS.........0....... 11 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, " NEWS OR ADVERTISING By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Rates increases of six to 62 percent for customers of the Dallas, Shavertown, Harveys Lake and Noxen Water companies have been approved, effective December 10. Although the approved rates aren't as high as those originally requested by General Waterworks Corp., owners of the four water companies, they're still rather hefty for some customers. According to calculations by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) in a press release dated December 10, typical yearly residential water bills will look like this: * Dallas Water Company: (1,774 customers in Dallas Borough and Dallas Township) $446, up 61.6 percent from $276. * Shavertown Water Company: (919 customers in Shavertown) $419, up 5.5 percent from $397. e Harveys Lake Water Company: (57 customers in Lake and Lehman townnships) $262, up 100 percent from $131. * Noxen Water Company: (98 customers in Noxen Twp., Wyoming County) $313, up 32.1 percent from $237. General Waterworks’ original rate hike request in June, 1992, called for customers to pay average yearly bills as follows: Dallas Water Co., $544 (a 97 percent increase); Shavertown Water Co., $508 (a 28 percent increase); Harveys Lake Water Co., $475 (a 363 percent Can | trust this guy? Two-year-old Jeremy Kaleta of Trucksville got a closeup look at one of Santa's helpers last Saturday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Shavertown. Actually, Jeremy was eager to visit with the jolly old fellow. Additional photo on page 16. (Post photo/Charlotte Bartizek) Trial Dallas administrators get average 4% raises By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Pay raises for eight Dallas School District administrators were approved at the school board's meeting December 14, with Ernest Ashbridge and John George casting the only dissenting votes. Calculated at a rate of four percent, with additional merit pay included, the raises are in effect for the 1992-93 school year. “I think that the administrative raises should be based more on merit payand less ona percentage,” Ashbridge said. Administrators’ salaries for the 1992-93 school year are as follows: Senior high principal Frank Galicki, $48,798; middle school principal Anthony Martinelli, $48,640; Dallas elementary principal Ruth Tetschner, $53,962; Westmoreland elementary principal Samuel Barbose, $49,499; assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction Dr. Gilbert Griffiths, $55,522; business manager Charlotte Williams, $39.280; acting supervisor of buildings and grounds Richard Morgan, $37,833 and superintendent Gerald Wyecallis, $71,520. The Dallas school board presented Ernest Ashbridge, Jr., with two mementoes of his 22 years on the board, a gavel and block, at its regular meeting Monday, December 14. John Cleary was elected president of the board, and Ellen Nagy was elected vice president. After the school board's reorganization, the following committee chairpersons were approved: e Cafeteria: Richardson. e Education: Clarence Michael. e Finance: Ernest Ashbridge, Jr. * Personnel: Thomas Stitzer. e Policy: Ellen J. Nagy. e Property: John George. e Student activities: Thomas G. Landon. e Transportation: Dr. Richard G. Coslett. James IL. See DALLAS SCHOOL, pg 3 Soloists Gate of Heaven music students performing a special solo, “Jesu Bambino,” included, back row from left: Melissa Stevens, Larry Medico, Susan Tomchak, Mary Ricci, Chris Lohin; Becky Barnes and Catherine Cashore on piano and Erin Stair on violin. (Post Photo/Grace R. Dove) Water rates going up 6%-1009 increase) and Noxen Water Co., $383 (a 61.6 percent increase.) According to Attorney Carol Pennington of the PUC's Office of Staff, the rate request settlement worked out between her office, General Waterworks and the state Office of Consumer Protection provides for uniformity of water rates in the four companies’ service areas. Under the terms of the agreement, General Waterworks must: Cable TV prices to rise January 1 By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Customers of Tele-Media, the cable television company serving the Back Mountain, will receive an unpleasant New Year's surprise with their 1993 bills: a nine percent increase for basic service. The present rate of $18.50 for the basic 33 channels, enacted April 1, 1992, will increase to $20. Since 1989, when basic service cost $13.50, eable rates have increased by at least nine percent a year. “I think it's outrageous and appalling to continue to raise rates while providing mediocre service at best,” said Kingston Township manager Jeff Box. “It is equally appalling for them to raise rates so soon before the Sable Teleyision ACL takes effect.” Undér the Cable Television Act, voted into law in October, 1992 and expected to take effect this County-wide 911 plan could close local comm center By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Local officials are concerned about plans for a Luzerne County- wide 911 emergency system that could replace the Back Mountain Communications Center. But if the county decides to go forward with the idea, every household canbe assessed a $1.25 monthly charge that the county gets to keep, whether or not they actually establish a system. The Back Mountain's 911 emergency communication system has served six communities since November, 1990, while parts of Franklin Township with 333 or 388 telephone exchanges have been on Wyoming County's 911 system for several years. e Report quarterly to the PUC on the status of water quality and system improvements. e List each customer complaint, including the customers’ names, addresses, the nature of the problem and the company’s solution. ¢ Reduce the hydrogen sulfide odor problems at the Salla well aeration tower in Shavertown within six months. See WATER RATES, pg 16 Next: A 12-channel basic package for $15 a month spring, local cable companies may not raise rates by more than five percent a year, Box said. “Frankly, the only complaints that I hear are from Kingston Township, The Dallas Post and a few anonymous people who call the public opinion line at another local weekly newspaper,” said Don Zagorski, general manager at Tele- Media. “This is all negative publicity.” On the positive side, Tele-Media has nearly doubled its cable system, from 105 miles of cable serving 4,000 customers to 200 miles of cable serving more than 7,000 customers in Dallas See CABLE TV, pg 16 Kingston Township manager Jeff Box is concerned thata911 system encompassing all of Luzerne County could adversely affect the Back Mountain. “In addition to requests for ambulances and fire companies, the Back Mountain communications center handles many types of calls, such as kids throwing snowballs, people violating burning ordinances and dog cases,” Box said. “Other calls requesting officers to meet people at their stations for copies of accident reports and other minor matters also come in. Who will handle these?” Box also wants to know how a dispatcher will handle large See 911, pg 16
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