I i wl 106 No. 22 Chase inmates skip during furlo er By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff ~ JACKSON TOWNSHIP - Carl Wells recently became the third convicted murderer to turn a weekend furough from the State Correctional Institute at Dallas into a pass to freedom. Wells never returned from a weekend furlough to visit his family in Philadelphia August 23, 1994. He was servinga 7 1/2 to Ky ) year sentence for Furder. ' Taxes same In Dallas kd budget By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff ®& pALLAS — The school board unanimously adopted a prelimi- nary $20,2236,538 budget with no millage increase for the fifth consecutive year at a special meeting May 25. “Increased ten percent, or 81,863,409, over last year, the sudget holds the line on the 150- mill property tax. One mill generates $45,000 and Cle district has 9,625 taxable properties, according to finance manager Charlotte Williams. Based on an average assessed valuation of $5,000, property owners will pay approximately $750 in school taxes. The beginning fund balance has increased $899,816, or 32.5 per- cent, to $3,667, 633, or six per- cent of the total budget, Williams i) oa income has increased $209,318, or 2.2 percent, to $9,684,713, while state income has increased $792,064, or 13.5 percent, to $6,641,192, accord- ing to the business manager's figures. See DALLAS, pg 16 Three other inmates on fur- lough or work release have gone AWOL from SCID, according to Pennsylvania Crimestoppers and prison officials. Since March, the three con- victed murderers have been fea- tured as the Pennsylvania Cri- mestoppers’ fugitives of the week. One has beer on the run since 1982, while another has been out since 1973. A fourth inmate who didn't make fugitive of the week has been free since 1972. SS HS Dallas, Pennsylvania “You can’t tell in advance who will walk away and who won't.” Tom Figmick Ass’t prison superintendent Joseph Coleman, serving time for attempted murder, theft and robbery, has been on the lam from a furlough since February 16, 1982. Jose Ortiz Callaso, serving eight to 20 years for murder, also skipped out from a furlough No- vember 21, 1973. The prison's record is held by an inmate whom prison officials simply referred to as “VanHouten,” who walked away from a flood cleanup detail in Edwardsville in July, 1972. on page 10. Saluting veterans Daddow-Isaacs American Legion Adjutant Thomas Reese, facing camera, saluted along with Boy Scout Eric Kowalek, left, and Cub Scout Josh Halbing at the annual Memorial Day service in Dallas Monday. At right, back to camera is LegionPost Commander John Charney. More photos POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK t ehman budget passes on 2nd try By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff LEHMAN - The Lake-Lehman @hool board reconvened its budget meeting May 25 and passed the same $16,393,607 tentative budget it had voted down May 22. Dr.John Presper, Patricia Gold, Allen Moss and Edwin Kern voted against the tentative spending plan, while Joseph “Red” Jones provided the winning margin. He had been absent for the May 22 (@ccting. Elizabeth Sichler, Karen Whipple, Thomas Williams and Jeff Fritzen joined Jones in favor of adoption. The budget proposes a seven- mill property tax increase, raising Luzerne County residents’ prop- erty taxes to 197 mills and Wyo- ming County residents’ taxes to 97 mills. Luzerne County residents with volley assessed at an average & $5,000 will pay $985 in school taxes, while Wyoming County residents will pay $485. The millage rate differs between counties because Wyoming County properties were reevalu- ated several years ago. Each mill generates $31,000, dccording to financial manager Ray Bowersox. “I'm not. comfortable with a .,.. mill increase,” Gold said. “The figures don't justify it.” Kern said he was “in shock” after finding out the administra- tors’ salaries. “Last year the board's majority gave the admin- istrators and teachers what they wanted,” he said. Moss said he voted his con- science. “It's now time to pay the fiddler,” he said. “We're trying to inspire the administrators to work with us to keep costs down. The teachers’ contract has become a millstone around our taxpayers’ necks.” Presper objected to the budget because it increased teachers’ salaries by 3.7 percent this year, while the area's two largest em- ployers had increased their em- ployees’ pay by only two percent. The district expects to end this year in the black with a fund balance of $239,573, which it hadn't counted on, but plans to spend the entire amount in the 1995-96 school year, Bowersox said. Local revenues have increased $504,885, or 6.7 percent, to $8,006,063, and state revenues are up $565,039, or 7.8 percent, to $7,.771.711. But federal funding has de- creased by $123,895, or 30 per- cent, to $276,260, and other funding sources are down $50,000, or 33 percent, accord- ing to Bowersox's figures. Local revenues make up 48.8 See LEHMAN, pg 16 Still sleek Tom Stella, Mountaintop, front seat, and Rich Stella, Carverton, back, tried out this classic Pierce Arrow runabout at last week- end's Antique and Classic Boat Show at Harveys Lake. The fourth annual event was held at the Grotto Marina. Newspaper Since 1889 The Dallas Post In SIENA CHRIS O1@1\V1\V ISH EI=ISHO] oil I | <5 B VAY Sl BARS WAY 4 =SB= po 1 AVN RS 0] o [0] EE BI ISH i = 1 [oF BS “You can't tell in advance who will walk away and who won't,” said assistant prison superinten- dent Tom Figmick. “Wells had gone on four previous furloughs and had returned without a problem. We were getting ready to transfer him to a community treatment program.” Inmates qualify for furloughs when they complete at least half of their sentence and don't break any rules of conduct for the previ- ous nine months in prison, ac- May 31 thru June 6, 1995 cording to department of correc- tions press secretary Ben Liv- inggood. The district attorney, the vic- tims and the sentencing judge also have input into granting inmates’ furlough requests, he added. Inmates must give prison offi- cials the name of someone who will be responsible for them while See INMATES, pg 16 Town meeting will tackle drugs, gangs By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff DALLAS —- They wear identical bandannas tied to their belts and are constantly together, hanging out at the park after school and the bowling alley on weekends. Occasionally they pull pranks or get into scuffles with other teens. Are they gangs or just groups of close friends? How can parents and the community tell the differ- ence? ~~ A six-man panel will address these and other concerns at an open town meeting on gangs and drugs at the Dallas Middle School June 2 at 6:30 p.m. The first session will deal with By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff HARVEYS LAKE - Mayor Rick Boice says he'll tell borough police to get tough on anyone attending amphitheater concerts or related businesses who violates borough ordinances. “I have no intention of putting up with any excessive noise after 11 p.m. or any otherviolations,” he said at the regular May 23 council meeting. “As for fining offenders, we'll go for the maximum.” Boice said he is reviewing all borough ordinances which might pertain to the amphitheater or its related businesses and has changed the placement of the po- lice during concerts. Borough police officers will not be allowed to work in the amphi- theater parking lot. “We want to alert parents to what we feel is an emerging problem in the area.” James Balavage Kingston Twp. police chief gangs, which panel members will discuss, then take questions from the audience. Abriefbreak will befollowed by a discussion about drugs, and a second question and answer ses- sion. ~ See GANGS, pg 2 Boice talks tough on amphitheater “The police will be out on the streets protecting the public,” Boice said. “They will try to keep the crowds off the streets so people don't cut through residents’ yards or relieve themselves on front lawns. We will also encourage people to park in the lot rather than on the streets.” The heavy metal groups Black Sabbath and Motor Head will per- form July 1, Boice noted. “When I saw his concert sched- ule I thought he was going back to the same type of entertainment as he had his first year here,” he said. “Now I'm reading about Black Sabbath and Motor Head.” In other business, Ruth Eaton asked Boice how he plans to handle an incident in which a borough police officer allegedly pulled a gun on another officer. See BOICE, pg 16 HB She's a star 19- month-old Nadine Sellani will be featured in the Children's Miracle telethon this week- end. Page 3. HB Stats are only part of Carrie Llewellyn's soccer story. Page 11. 16 Pages p Sections Calendar..................... 13 Classified............... 14-15 Crossword.................. 13 Editorials.................. 4 Obituaries................... 14 SCHOOL...........coo..iiin 8-9 SPOUS. ocr: 11-12 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING The Dallas Post MAILING LABEL- Please enclose this label with any address changes, and mail to The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612-0366
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