TE — . . ” . - lh. A gts = iE TA 8 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 3, 1996 Utility (continued from page 1) [Lehman Township supervisor .and Oak Hill resident Ray Iwanowski disputes many of the utility's claims. He says there are regular main breaks at Oak Hill, ‘including one last week and an- other Monday. He also thinks the ‘chlorine levels are too high. "Every time they ask for a rate increase, they give us lots of lip service. We'll see their trucks around here almost every day,” Iwanowski said. "It looks like a cosmetic attmept on their part. Then, after they get the rate in- crease, they go back to doing things the same way.” Iwanowski said water pressure has improved, but that may be the reason the lines blow out, since they are in such poor condi- tion. He said that, out of despera- tion, some home owners are drill- ing their own wells, which can be a financial hardship on the mod- est community of young families and retirees. Al Rhodes Terrace, the com- ‘pany upgraded the chlorination equipment. “We are also replacing our chemical feed systems, which chlorinate the water, with more reliable equipment,” Bontrager said. "We have never had a bacte- ria test come back positive.” - Bontrager said in December that the cost of water testing, which the company now spends about $8,000 a year in its 19 divisions on, has increased 600 percent [rom 1988, mostly due to increasingly stringent state and federal water quality regulations. He said the PUC's accusation that National Utilities has failed to repay $50,000 in state loans is "an error in timing.” "They looked at the payments made through the end of Septem- ber, 1994," he said. “We were still collecting late payments after that date. We paid everything, but we paid it late.” ~The company is $125,600 in arrears lo the state for loans be- cause it couldn't collect enough money to repay everything and also remain in operation, ‘Bontrager continued. “If we gel the rale increase, we will set up a payment schedule with the state.” he said. Lehman Township supervisor and Oak Hill resident Ray Iwanowski said township road master Doug Ide confirmed the improvements to the Oak Hill sys- tem, butisaid the company hasn't PENNSYLVANIA a I properly repaired any of the pave- ment cuts it made to access and repair pipes in the last two years. “They only filled their holes and covered them with cold patch as- phalt,” Ide said. "We have specific requirements for backfilling all pave cuts, which must be covered with hot patch asphalt and sealed around the edges with tar. Na- tional Utilities hasn't done any pave cul repairs to specifications.” Harveys Lake resident Betty Gray, who lives near one of Na- tional Utilities’ water towers at Warden Place, said she hasn't seen any repairs to pipes in her neigh- borhood. “Last summer they repainted the tower - they just slapped some paint over the rust,” she said. “It's peeling off already.” The company also hasn't re- paired the many leaks in the black plastic hoses which make up the Warden Place system, she said. The hoses still run partially bur- ied and partially along the ground to the homes. “The Department of Environ- mental Protection was up here with the company twice last week," she said. Mrs. Gray is on the summer water system and carries her wa- ter in jugs from a friend's home between late October and April 15. To extend the winter water line to her home would cost her $40 a foot. “The winter system's water sometimes smells very strongly of chlorine,” she said. She is also concerned because the pump house at the water tank doesn't have any locks on it. “There's high voltage up there,” she said. “If kids get in, they could electrocute themselves.” If approved, the rate increase request would affect customers of the Oak Hill, Rhodes Terrace, Warden Place and Midway Manor water companies. Oak Hill water company cus- tomers’ bills would increase {rom $357 to $496 annually, based on -an average usage of 48,000, gal- lons, while customers of Rhodes Terrace at Harveys Lake would pay $371 per year instead of $249, based on usage of 42,000 gallons. Customers of Midway Manor in Kingston Township and Warden Place at Harveys Lake would pay $339 instead of $208 annually, based on an average usage of 60,000 gallons. The Oak Hill system serves 486 customers, while Warden Place serves 180, Midway Manor serves 575 and Rhodes Terrace serves 275 customers, according to [ig- ures supplied by the Department of Environmental Resources. National Utilities last filed for a rate increase in November, 1993, which went into effect the follow- ing September. Each application to the PUC costs the company about $60,000, which it passes on to the customers, Bontrager said. The PUC and' administrative law judge Debra Paist will con- duct two public comment ses- sions Wednesday, April 10, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Dallas eystone CIOGIONS ww PA Numbers Lottery Games pa Ol 300 Memorial Highway - DALLAS OPEN 7-DAYS A WEEK - 24 HOURS A DAY! Township Municipal Building on Route 309, just north of the Coun- try Club Shopping Center. Customers’ testimony will be- come part of the record on which the PUC will base its decisions on the rate hike request. Down To Earth CEG T lo METelo SRST To) 743 Wyoming Avenue, Kingston Easter Gift Baskets For Someone Special Unique, Custom, Affordable B87 CURCT Cl = Phone Orders hoa 283-8401 - [=d Jackson (continued from page 1) for approximately $188,000, cur- rently at 4.77% with PNC bank. He said that he may be able to “secure a new loan at 3.95% for the remaining 2 1/2 years of the loan, resulting in a savings of $3,500 to $5,000" for the town- ship. : The loan, originally for $360,000, for the purpose of pay- ing off renovations to the town- ship municipal building and re- moving contaminated soil [rom the area in front of the building, was already refinanced once from 7.5% to the current rate. The board passed a resolution authorizing officials lo prepare the necessary documents for the re- funding. Glogowski declined to release the name of the new [inan- cial institution until the deal is completed. Supervisor John Wilkes an- nounced that FEMA inspected and approved the township engineer's plan to restore Bulford Rd. due to the flood damage in January. However, he said, FEMA is “await- ing an actual bid figure before final authorization” to release funds. The bids for the Bulford Rd project were as follows: * Evans Asphalt $21,895.90 * American Asphalt Paving Co.: Co. $23,954.20 * Linde Enterprises. Inc.: $28,463.20 : * Vincent Construction Co.: $23,182.50 * Stella Excavating & Trucking Inc.: $19,917.00 The contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Stella Excavat- ing, subject to FEMA approval. Wilkes also announced that free firewood and fill is available to township residents. Residents in need of firewood should contact Wilkes at 675-6008 for availabil- ity and those needing fill delivered should also call ahead of time for scheduling and to sign a waiver. Inother business, Wilkes made a motion to advertise the sale of the township's 1985 GMC truck with a plow and spreader. The township's audit commit- tee completed the 1995 annual township audit March 9 and re- ported in their letter presented to the board that once again, “the township books and receipts are in order.” The committee, made up of James Hutchins, chairman, Donald Werkheiser, secretary, and Danielle Kmetz, auditor, reported that although no problems were found, it was recommended that the township get updated com- puter software programs. Hometown news « Hometown product The Dallas Post Mt. Zion Rd., (Location: Rte. 92 N. to Oberdorfer Rd. to top of hill, Make right on Mt.Zion Rd. 1/2 mi. on right) Opening Soon for 1996 Season Interested in a Change? Golf Applewood! Join a Golf League - New Golf Leagues Forming Make Reservations Now ing AT THE 109TH ARTILLERY ARMORY KINGSTON, PR APRIL 8 THRU 13 RESERVED SEATS ON SALE SHOWTIMES 825-9116 IREM TEMPLE BOR OFFICE 9-4 BOSCOUS, WILKES BARRE 18-8 J.C PENNEYS AT THE WYOMING UALLEY MALL 18-8 INSALRACO’S, WEST PITTSTON 18-8 109TH ARMORY, KINGSTON 9-5 GENERAL ADMISSION $3.00 SPONSORED BY UNIFORMED UNITS OF IREM TEMPLE DAILY 1:45PM © 7:45PM ADDITIONAL SHOLY SATURDAY 9:45AM RESERUED SEATS $7 $9 $11 $15 825-9116 In The Market For A New Checking Account? Check With / Franklin First! FRANKLIN FIRST ] Subsidiary of ONBANCorp, Inc. Member FDIC One Day We'll Be YOUR Bank 1-800-262-1210 (717) 821-7100 *Senior Accounts Welcome.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers