SABRE EE A a et Spe Fons Sp Br pe RE wo SNE RR AE REL GS RT RR a A A SE a A St Hn Be A a I As Ea 8 The Dalias Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, May 24, 1995 Land (continued from page 1) between Lehman Township and Dallas Borough. A separate filtration plant for the Huntsville Reservoir is located on Huntsville Creek in Kingston Township between Hillside Farms and Route 309. The company’s remaining 46,000 acres of land will be trans- ferred to PG&W's gas division. PG&W would not give the specific location of the 7,000 acres in- volved in the $409 million sale. According to PG&W spokesper- sonJuneann Greco, the sale won't be finalized until the company’s shareholders approve it at a spe- cial meeting, but the company is “optimistic.” “We're only selling watershed land,” she said. “I can't tell you anything more. The technical definition of watershed land is 50- 100 feet back from the reservoir’s shoreline. A broader definition is any land that impacts the quality of water in a reservoir. I don't know which one the company will use. The specifics of the sale haven't been determined yet.” According to Luzerne County tax records, PG&W owns three parcels of land with a total tax valuation of $23,420 in Dallas Borough. One parcel is 1.2 acres, while a second is 29.97 acres. The size of the third parcel wasn't available from tax records. The company also owns 45 parcels of land with a total tax valuation of $53,950 in Lehman Township, according to county tax records. Only one parcel'’s size is listed — 123.29 acres, value at $2,590. PG&W's holdings in Lehman Township comprise nearly a third of the township, according to zoning officer Barbara Simms. The land adjoining both reser- voirs is zoned conservation (C-1), with only one-family homes, agri- culture, nurseries or parks al- lowed. The minimum lot size in the conservation zone in Dallas is two acres, while in Lehman Township it's three acres. Lehman Township allows one- family homes in its conservation zone only with the approval of the zoning board, Simms said. While conservation zones are designed to severely limit devel- opment and use of certain areas, land zoned C-1 may still be subdi- vided (broken up) and sold, Simms said. “As long as the proposed use and plan comply with our zoning ordinances, the zoning board must approve the subdivision,” she said. Members of the Back Moun- tain Regional Land Trust, an or- ganization dedicated to preserv- ing open spaces, are keeping an eye on the sale. They are concerned that so many acres of undeveloped land may not stay in its natural state. “If it’s going to be developed, I would like to see a very limited plan, to allow a small portion to be developed, leaving as much of the land as possible to remain unde- veloped,” said architect, conser- vationist and land trust secretary Rob Lewis. Adeveloper could create a buffer zone around the water containing little or no development to pre- serve as much of the reservoirs’ natural character as possible, he suggested. Keeping trees instead of cut- ting them and limiting septic fields could also go a long way towards preserving the reservoirs, he added. “I'm also concerned that the paving and lawn fertilizers which come along with development Budget (continued from page 9) board member Joseph “Red” Jones led to the even split. The proposed $16,393,607 budget would have meant an increase of $935,329 over last year, increasing the millage by seven mills to 197 mills in Luzerne County and 97 mills in Wyoming County. Each mill generates $31,000, according to financial manager Ray Bowersox. With several board members arguing in hindsight about ap- proving such a generous teach- ers’ contract, the board agreed to recess until May 25 so they can study the budget further. Several members complained that they hadn’t had enough time to famil- iarize themselves with the plan. Dr.John Presper, Patricia Gold, Edwin Kern and Allen Moss re- fused to support the tentative budget. “The only thing a tentative budget does is make the politi- cians look good 30 days later,” Moss said. “I'm not interested in voting for a budget when I know so little about it. The district has failed the board in Budget 101.” “We keep giving and giving,” Kern said, referring to staff sala- ries. “Someone must stop the ball rolling somewhere.” “For the last few years the board has presented maintenance budg- ets and made cuts here and there,” Gold said. “I object to mainte- nance budgets that do nothing but tax the taxpayers once more. We aren't doing the right thing by the students or the taxpayers. Every year the board abdicates its reponsibility of preparing the budget to the administration. We're the ones who are account- able to the people.” “We keep giving and giving. Someone must stop the ball rolling somewhere.” Edwin Kern School board member Gold also objected to the board's approving a tentative millage in- crease, then changing it a month later with the final budget. She said she had learned at a Pennsyl- vania School Board Academy workshop that approving a tenta- tive millage increase, then chang- ing it a month later amounts to double taxation. The district plans to end the year with a fund balance of $239,573, none of which it had counted on, Bowersox said. But the tentative plan shows all of that being spent in the 1995-96 school year. Although local revenues have increased $504,885, to $8,006,063, and state revenues are up $565,039, to $7,771,711, federal funding has decreased by $123,895 to $276,260 and other revenue sources are down $50,000, to $100,000, according to Bowersox’s figures. Of the $935,239 increase in the total budget, $491,000 will be paid to the teachers’ retirement fund, $300,000 will pay for teach- ers’ salary increases and fringe benefits other than medical in- surance and $42,000 will pay for all employees’ medical insurance, Bowersox said. The board will reconvene its budget meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 25 in the library of the Lehman- Jackson School. For an out of this world Birthday Party, let us bring a MOONW ALK to your home. Also, Fundraiser, Special Events, Picnics & Bazaars Call Lou's Concessions 655-9477 could impact the quality of the water supply,” he said. “You don’t know how much of that can be removed by filtration. The Depart- ment of Environmental Resources (DER) regulates water quality only at the point of delivery, nowhere else.” Located atJackson Township's five corners (the intersection of Old Rte. 115 and Huntsville and Sutton roads) the Huntsville Dam was builtin 1890, inundating 389 acres - eight farms, a cranberry bog and a large swamp. Its capac- ity is 1.9 billion gallons of water. The remnants of its predeces- sor, built sometime before 1819 at the site of several old beaver dams, are still standing down- stream near the stone bridge. Construction of the first dam flooded a group of cranberry bogs and a tamarack forest, killing all the timber and possibly contrib- uting to the 1819-21 typhus epi- demic by contaminating the ground water supply. Ceasetown Dam was begun in 1909, when Hendrick Cease be- gan clearing the area of tree stumps with a team of oxen. Construction of the dam began in 1912 and ended six years later. Its spillways were enlarged in 1929. The 399-acre reservoir, which holds 2.9 billion gallons of water, is connected by a five-mile canal and tunnel through the mountain to the Plymouth Reservoir. It is also connected by a pipeline to the State Correctional Institution at Dallas (SCID). Both Huntsville and Ceasetown reservoirs serve PG&W custom- ers in the Back Mountain and on the West Side. Salaries (continued from page 1) pals will receive,” said Dallas assistant superintendent for cur- riculum and instruction Dr. Gilbert Griffiths. “In the past they have also used merit incentives to help determine salaries.” Dallas superintendent Gerald Wycallis's salary “wasn’t even in the lowest range,” Coslett said. Last year Wycallis earned $78,500, which will incresse 3.2 percent to $81,000 next year. “It doesn't matter whether or not he has a doctoral degree,” Coslett said. “He's the finest super- intendent in our area. He's doing a great job — I wouldn't trade him for anyone, degree or not.” His counterpart at Lake- Lehman, superintendent Dr. Wil- liam Price, earned $72,000 last year, which will increase to $74,700. Although he has earned his doctorate, Price is completing his first year as a superintendent in any district. The average superintendent's salary in Northeastern Pennsyl- vania was $76,868 in 1993-94, according to figures supplied by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA). Gifffiths's salary will increase 8.8 percent, from $62,500 to $68,000. Lake-Lehman doesn’t have an assistant superintendent. The average assistant superin- tendent’s salary in Northeastern Pennsylvania was $74,564, ac- cording to PSBA figures. Senior high school principal Frank Galicki's salary will increase 12 percent, from $54,000 to $60,500, while assistant princi- pal David Bieri's salary will in- crease 8.3 percent, from $48,000 to $52,000. Bieri also supervises special education. Lake-Lehman’s senior high principal John Oliver earned $66,382 this year, which will increase to $68,871. Assistant principal Frederick Sponenburg received $55,547 this year, which will increase to $57,630. The Northeastern Pennsylva- ' nia average salary for high school principals in 1993-94 was $64,427 and for assistant princi- pals was $55,558. Dallas middle school principal Anthony Martinelli's salary will jump 8.4 percent, from $55,335 to $60,000. The principal at Lake-Lehman's middle school, Robert Roberts, earned $62,251, which will in- crease to $64,585. The Northeastern Pennsylva- nia average salary for middle school principals was $64,381. Dallas Elementary principal Ruth Tetschner received a 3.4 percent increase, from $59,000 to $61,000, while Westmoreland principal Sam Barbose received a 6.3 percent raise, from $55,500 to $59,000. Both elementary principals at Lake-Lehman, CharlesJames and Robert Kunkle, earned $59,864, which will increase to $62,109. Kunkle is responsible for two schools, Lake-Noxen and Ross Township, while James is princi- pal ofthe Lehman-Jackson school. The average elementary school principal's salary in Northeastern Pennsylvania was $58,727. Dallas business manager Char- lotte Williams's salary increase is 12.4 percent, from $44,500 to $50,000, while her counterpart at Lake-Lehman, Ray Bowersox, earned $59,600 this year, which oO will increase to $61,200. The area's average business manager's salary was $56,588. Dallas's buildings and grounds supervisor Mark Kraynak received a 13.3 percent raise, from $30,000 to $34,000. Lake-Lehman’s building and : grounds supervisor earned $34,188, which will increase to $35,470 next year. Lake-Lehman has two supervi- sory positions which Dallas doesn’t — food service supervisor and school psychologist /supervi- sor of special education. Dallas contracts out its food services to Marriott. Food service supervisor Joyce Coolbaugh's salary is $23,040, which will increase to $23,040, while psychologist/special ed supervisor Regina Corbett's sal- ary will increase from $56,783 to $58,912. : No average salaries for build- ings and grounds supervisors, food service dcirectors or special education supervisors/psycholo- gists in Northeastern Pennsylva- nia is available; however the PSBA lists other administrative staff salary averages as $39,188. Asked to compare Dallas ad- ministrators’ salaries to the aver- age Luzerne County worker's pay of $19,500, Coslett said, “I make more than that myself. You have to remember - these are the administrators of our school dis- trict.” A Picnic Celebration for Cancer Survivors, Families and Friends National Cancer Survivors Daye Sunday, June 4, 1995, 11:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Martz Pavilion, Kirby Park, Wilkes-Barre Featuring: “FOCUSING ON THE RIGHT STUFE,” an inspirational talk from Leo G. Frangipane, M.D., FA.C.S,, general surgeon, Reading Hospital, and founder of SEEK, a support group that helps patients with cancer and other chronic illness learn exceptional attitudes in defying the odds. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: e The Anzalone Brothers & Company e Karaoke by Cris Michaels * [rem Temple Shrine Clowns e Pat Ward the Magician e Country Line Dancing PLUS: e Live Radio Broadcast with Hot Country 93.7 WDLS ¢ Free Gifts for Cancer Survivors e Volleyball Games and Other Fun-Filled Activities ¢ Picnic Refreshments e Health Awareness Activities e Celebratory Walk (11:00 a.m.) Guests should bring a blanket and/or lawn chair. For reservations, please call 283-7222 or 1-800-838-WELL. Ld J > Wy OD | oO “ o WYOMING VALLEY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ;
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers