D Vol. 105 No. 6 RS Dallas, PA » Newspaper Since 1889 WINE THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Wednésday, February 9, 1994 ' Fired dispatcher sues comm center fs} A 8 J | Marc Bregman had two heart attacks in 1991, the second while on the job By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff + A former Back Mountain Communi- cations Center dispatcher who had a heart attack at work and was subse- quently fired is suing the authority be- cause he says that his heart condition doesn’t prevent him from doing his job. Represented by Attorney David Lipka, Trucksville resident Marc Bregman, 51, is asking for a total of at least $140,000 plus interest and court costs for loss of wages, health and disability benefits, vacation, compensation and overtime, according to documents filed at the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. Bregman has requested a jury trial for each of the suit’s seven counts, each of which ask for damages of atleast $20,000. In addition to the communications center and its joint operating authority, the suit names authority members Nes- bitt Memorial Hospital, the Back Moun- tain Firemen’s Association, Dallas Bor- ough, Harveys Lake Borough and King- ston, Jackson, Dallas and Lehman town- ships as co-defendants. Harveys Lake Borough was a member of the Back Mountain Communications Center Joint Operating Authority until 1992, when it left to join the Luzerne County Communications Center. According to the complaint, Bregman was hired as a part-time dispatcher in July, 1988 and became a full-time dis- patcher a year later. A year and three months after his initial hiring, he was promoted to acting chief dispatcher. He suffered a heart attack on April 30, 1991, and was on medical leave until June, 1991, when he returned to light duty work, according to the complaint. While at work November 14, 1991, Bregman suffered another heart attack and returned to light duty work Decem- ber 5, 1991. Ten days later he received a termination notice, effective December 20, 1991, the complaint said. In the suit, Bregman accuses the com- munications center of: e Wrongfully discharging him. * Discriminating against him because of his age and a non-job related medical condition. e Violating the Pennnsylvania Human Rights Act and the Americans With Dis- abilities Act of 1990. ; * “Making false and defamatory state- ments” about his condition. i * Misrepresenting the type and availa- bility of work and benefits available. ¢ Causing him mental anguish and emotional distress. The suit contends that Bregman'’s dis- missal was “an intentional and deliber- ate act against (him) without reasonable justification” and that the dismissal was “done in a reckless, negligent and care- less manner without any justifiable or reasonable basis.” a i d | | See COMM CENTER, pg 2 Birthday Bash nets $3500+ By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff They got down, boogied and partied until midnight, all for a good cause. For the second consecutive year, guests at Sister Andre's “Birthday Bash for the Poor” came to have fun and raise money to help needy families. Instead of giving birthday presents to Sister Andre Dem- bowski, RSM, guests gave cash donations to the Sisters of @ | Mercy Ministry Fund, which operates programs to benefit low-income women, children and families. Many friends who couldn't attend but wanted to help sent donations in cards and letters. Sister Anne Lythgoe, OP, es- timated that more than $3,500 had been raised by February 7. Hosted by WMGS morning deejay Frankie Warren, the L] party featured soft rock and golden oldies - something for everyone. Guests did everything from the Electric Slide to the Chicken Dance, with the nuns outdoing the rest of the dancers. When asked who her chore- ographer was, Sister Anne executed some brilliant moves : and laughed, “The Holy Spirit!” @ | “This is a real bare bones + party,” Sr. Andre said. “The only thing that we bought was the balloons. Everything else has been donated.” Sister Maureen McCann, rr RSM, president of the Sisters of Mercy at Dallas, described the party as “a link between us and the poor,” combining Sisters of Mercy founder Sister Cather- ine McAuley's desires to create opportunities for the poor, to link those who have resources with those who need them and to allow the sisters to share a little bit of joy every day while serving. “Only Sister Andre could pull off something like this, espe- cially two years in a row,” said Sister Kathleen Lyons, RSM, who came from Philadelphia to celebrate with her friend. “I'm going to try it myself.” During the festivities, three raffle winners were selected and asked to select a favorite char- ity to receive their winnings. Dallas resident John Ennis, an English teacher at King's College, chose the St. Vincent dePaul Soup Kitchen to receive his $50 prize. “We volunteer there,” he said. “At the soup kitchen, they're POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE A HUG FOR THE BIRTHDAY GIRL — Dana and Jean Kovaleski give Sister Andre Dembowski, RSM, a hug at her “Birthday Bash” Feb. 5, held to benefit the poor. treated like people. The worst thing I can think of is to be cold and hungry.” Patty McCann designated the Mercy Ministry Fund to receive her $100 winnings, while Mary Janosek of Kingston would be contacted later by telephone to select her favorite charity. Former Dallas resident Carol Hession came in from Vernon, NJ, where she runs a halfway house for homeless pregnant See BIRTHDAY BASH, pg 6 « Jeff Eyet knows his way around the globe By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Poring over world almanacs, computer programs and atlases, Lake-Lehman eighth-grader Jeff Eyet recently spent a weekend preparing for his school’s annual @ Geography Bee. pa His work paid off — Eyet sailed through the competition to be- come building winner, giving him the opportunity to take a written test with other students his age to select 50 statewide winners in the National Geography Bee. Statewide winners will compete in national finals in Washington, DC. In the schoolwide competition, o Eyet answered a battery of oral questions on world geography. For the statewide competition he'll have to take a written test. “The almanacs were the most help,” he said. “They give you lots of good information.” Runner-up and seventh-grade ‘winner was Ken Weaver. “I mostly tried to remember what I had already learned in class,” he said. ; Home room representatives in © the second round of the contest were Eric Nygren, Jennifer Cris- See GEOGRAPHY, pg 2 EE A POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE TOP GEOGRAPHERS — Winners in Lake-Lehman Middle Level Education Building's recent Geogra- phy Bee were seventh grade winner Ken Weaver, left, teacher Armonde Cassagrande and building winner Jeff Eyet, right. Area roads put on low-salt diet Salt and anti-skid hard to find By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff The bitter cold and back-to- back snowstorms plaguing the Back Mountain have put area roads on a low-salt diet. Dallas Township roadmaster Frank Wagner has been waiting a month for a salt shipment which hasn't yet arrived. When Franklin Township tried to buy more bulk salt, they were told that it had been rationed, according to secretary Sandy Race. They were forced to buy it in large bags. Lehman Township is facing similar problems. When township roadmaster Doug Ide called Car- gill, his supplier for salt, he was told that he had already bought the 100 tons that the township Most towns have already spent winter budget, pg. 6 had contracted for. No more was available. He had to call Akzo, which sent a delivery from Wilkes-Barre. When he needed cinders, his supplier, PP&L at Washington- ville, said that they wouldn't sell him any more unscreened (coarse) ash for $1.90 per ton. They were only selling screened ash for $3.10 per ton. But the machine used toscreen the ash had quit working because of the cold and there wasn't any See LOW-SALT DIET, pg 6 Woodridge streets target of complaints By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff Residents of the Woodridge development off Sutton Road complained to the Jackson Town- ship supervisors at their Febru- ary 8 meeting that their roads aren't being cleared of ice and SNOW. Betty DiGiovanni said that her family had three “near misses” last month due to poorly cleared roads. “The last one was on ice,” she said. “did a 360 and nearly flipped my car. A man working nearby saw what had happened and helped straighten my car out.” A week later DiGiovanni's son ran into a snowbank and “was nearly killed.” | “I won't let my 14-year-old ride the school bus any more because the roads are too dangerous,” she said. “They need salt.” Wd IR Dr. Cynthia Hosea said that the roads are cleared too late in the morning. “This happens every winter,” she said. : Satish Patel said that the roads in Wood Ridge aren't as well-kept as those in neighboring Kingston Township and asked that the township improve the drainage when they repave these roads. Road crew members explained that they don’t put as much salt on their section of Sutton Road as Kingston Township does on its See WOODRIDGE, pg 6 HB Nadzan to Yale Dallas High football and academic standout Greg Nadzan will attend Yale University this fall. Page 7. HB He's fresh Bob Sorber treats his customers fresh, and they love it. Page 3. 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