8. ' The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 17, 1996 i bl Customers (continued from page 1) cold patch and piles of gravel. The company has parked a backhoe on the empty lot. v, “Our road looks like Bosnia,” said Thomas Pavlichko. “From A to Z I've never seen such an outfit in my life. We'll be back unless something is done with them.” ‘William Tomayko, an employee ofthe Department of Environmen- tal Protection, said he keeps a bucket in his shower so he can rinse himself when the water pres- sure suddenly drops. ‘He has seen 15 water main brseks on Hemlock Drive. NUI has dug up his front yard five times, he added. . “How long must we suffer with torn- up yards, mud in our streets and mud in our yards?" he asked. “During the 1995 drought a water leak went unrepaired for six days, with water running down the street. But if | had washed my car I would have had to pay a fine.” Like many other residents, Tomayko installed a sediment fil- ter on his water line to keep mud leaking into the lines from block- ing up the pipes in his home. He has also replaced every valve and valve seat in his home's water system several times. “National Utilities keeps saying they'll make repairs as soon as the weather permits,” he said. “What kind of weather are they ‘waiting for?” The audience applauded after Albert Babetski testified. “I object to the fact that the 'PUC licenses this water company,” he said. “The Shickshinny Water Company debacle should have tipped you off — you should have investigated them to the Nth de- gree then.” "+ Pointing to Bontrager, he con- tinued, “I challenge your integrity because I think you are untruth- ful, Did all of the loan surcharge ‘we paid you go toward our system's ‘new tank and line or are we pay- ing offimprovements to some other 'system?” Barbara Hausen showed the commission a pair of extremely faded socks and sweats which she said were once hunter green. “I don't own any more black socks,” she said. “They've all faded to gray. The pressure is so low it takes a day and a half to do three loads of wash.” ‘Her children get frequent rashes from the water, which she said often reeks of chlorine and has pa iis 3 LR 3 of ARAN New signs will By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff KINGSTON TOWNSHIP - The supervisors unanimously voted to hélp the mother of a hearing-im- paired child by erecting warning signs on her street at their regular April 11 meeting. “Could you please place the signs closer to the top of the hill?” asked Debra Darling, whose four- year-old daughter must wear two hearing aids. “The cars are racing on our road.” ~ Township manager Jeff Box said he would order the 24 x 24- inch diamond-shaped signs, which say “deaf child,” as soon as possible. ‘The first reading of an ordi- nance to adopt Ivy Drive and Maple Léaf Road in the Maplecrest II subdivision as township roads was unanimously approved. Maplecrest II is between the back of Sunrise Estates and Manor Drive. ‘Roads must be built to town- ship specifications, pass an in- spection by the township engi- neer and be guaranteed by a bond for 18 months before they can be Dogs (continued from page 1) hold in a residential district to a total of four. The supervisors unanimously authorized Bartlett to take a po- lice officer to Niedzwicki's home, count all the dogs and cats and cite her if they total more than four. Bartlett said he will also cite herunder the nuisance ordinance. ‘Bartlett reported he collected $997 in fees and issued eight per- mits in March. Three permits were for new homes, issued to Michael and Cheryl Carey of Troxell Switch Road, Richard Stokes of 1315 Jackson Road and Richard and Jacqueline Dalmas of Crossen Road. He also issued a permit to repair a home belonging to Jo- seph and Janice Poluske, which was damaged by a fire. “In other business the supervi- sors, unanimously renewed the police mutual aid agreement with Ross Township. POST Officials attending the hearings were National Utilities president Joseph Bontrager, company attorney Anthony c. Lomma, consumer advocate attorney Gicine P. Brognola, PUC administrative law judge Debra Paist and attorney Wayne T. Scott from the PUC office of trial staff. caused her to have two asthma attacks. In the past 11 1/2 years, she has experienced 30 water main breaks in her front yard, which now resembles a swamp, Hausen said. The utility has taken up to three weeks to repair broken mains, even during droughts. “Last Easter morning I had to take the children to my mother’s house in Kingston to get their showers for church,” she said. When NUI repaired a leak in heryard three years ago, the work- ers broke one of the drain pipes under her new driveway, causing it to sink. ; She also gave the PUC a jour- nal, “A Year in the LIfe of a Na- tional Utilities Customer,” of her problems with the utility for the past year as an exhibit. “Not everyone at Oak Hill pays the same rate,” said Marie Jones, who knows “at least five people” whoaren't metered and don't have their own wells. “It would be different if they treated us all the same or gave us a fair shake,” she said. Her water bill doubled after the meters were installed. During one two-month billing period she paid $155.79 for 30,500 gallons — for two people. (According to recent press releases, NUI calculated its rate hike based on an average annual use of 48,000 gallons.) “Many people are drilling wells - up there because they can't stand this company and its broken prom- ises,” Jones said. Ww FS 8 Shh ALS FIG of Cl ALLEN RIS “My water is nearly as bad as Wilkes-Barre's —- it tastes like fish. My white laun- dry turns gray and the colors look lousy. My laundry comes out dirtier than when it went in.” Since 1988 she has gone through three washing machines because of dirt coming through Lehman Township supervisor Ray Iwanowski, also a resident of Oak Hill, described the company’s shoddy repairs to pavement which it has cut to access broken pipes and the many leaks in the system. “During several dry spells there was water running down the street POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Oak Hill resident Charles Shafer was one of many residents to testify at the April 10 public hearings on a rate hike request by National Utilities. the water pipes. “Arepairman told me my motor had burned up because of all the grains of stone and little pebbles in the water,” she said. She has also added a second tank to her hot water heating system to help the grit settle out instead of accu- mulating in the pipes. hs od % K34Y TF warn motorists of deaf child adopted, according to zoning of- ficer Ben Gorey. Roads are deeded to the township and adopted by ordinance. The supervisors also unani- mously voted to advertise for three recreation counselors and a su- pervisor for the summer program and to buy a new office computer system from Time-Wise consult- ants for $9,200. The supervisors opened more than 30 bids for various road materials for the Back Mountain Road Materials Cooperative Pur- Corrections chasing Program and unani- mously tabled them for Ruriler study. The supervisors unanimously voted to award the following bids: transfer containers for the spring cleanup to Danella Environmen- tal for $349, removal of under- ground storage tanks at the mu- nicipal building and garage to Linde Enterprises for $5,520, and for repairing stormwater drain- age pipes on East Center Street near the ambulance building to James T. O'Hara, Inc., for $44,598. An article in last week's issue about new traffic signals in the Back Mountain incorrectly stated that the light being installed at Orloski's and the Dallas Shopping Center on Route 309 was being paid for by Orloski's. The cost is being shared by Orloski's and Humford Equities, owners of the shopping center. ¢ A photo on page 3 in last week's issue carried the wrong identifi- cation. Russ Ockenhouse was incorrectly identified as Norm Darling St. Chicken Parmesan COMPANY "Your Hometown Restaurant" All Week Special with Spaghetti & Salad Don't Forget Every Wednesday And Thursday Ziti and Meatballs 675-7347 Near Rt. 309-415 Intersection « Open Daily 11:00 a.m. Now Hiring Dayshift $4.99 $9.99 ee "a" a while we were trying to conserve it,” he said. “The company told us the problem wasn't as critical as in other areas. Rudolph Schleich, PhD, said he and his wife, both retired, saw a 30 to 50 percent increase, in their water bill after his meter was installed, while several neighbors i I as iad 4 who also have meters still pay by the old flat rate. When his water bill jumped from about $65 every two months to $95, he and his wife began strict conservation measures, such as using “gray water” to flush the toilet, to keep costs down. “Over the past 15 years, Na- tional Utilities has gone on a sort of feeding frenzy picking up small, financially-troubled water compa- nies,” Schleich said. “Now they're desperate for money to make nec- essary capital improvements. The seductive quality of rate increases is that eventually the company will get at least part of what they request.” Harveys Lake resident Michael A. Smith, a customer of the utility's Worden Place division, described an encounter with NUI workers Jast year, in which they used ob- scene language and cut his water line. “We lost our water. My son found the shutoff valve to our house and turned it back on, thinking he was doing a favor for us,” Smith said. “Shortly after- wards a NUI worker came onto my front lawn and cut my water line.” The workers responded to his question about the water line be- ing cut with expletives, he said. Smith repaired the line himself. Councilwoman Betty West, also a Worden Place customer, de- scribed her neighborhood's “tem- porary” water lines - leaky black plastic hoses snaking through the streets above the ground, along a stream bed and through culverts - which have been in place for nearly a decade. Rhodes Terrace customer Keith Harry also complained about the poor quality and pressure of the water and the company’s response to complaints. “If more than one person on the street takes a shower the pres- sure fluctuates,” he said. “Within: 18 months Ireplaced three pumps on my furnace and one on the dishwasher because they burned up due to the low water pressure. I have also replaced numerous seals and gaskets on my pipes.” The company requires at least two calls reporting problems be- fore it will send a repairman out, Harry said. After a water line broke on Christmas Eve in 1993, the com- pany took several days to finish the repairs, he said. “They left a 3 1/2 foot pipe sticking out of the ground in my driveway to locate the shutoff valve,” he said. “I finally cut it off because I was worried it could damage my vehicles.” NUI finally filled the hole it had cut in the pavement for this job with cold patch asphalt the fol- lowing August, Harry said. “They didn’t even tamp it down,” he said. “The big, heavy guy doing the work stomped it with his feet a couple of times.” NUI has never applied to Harveys Lake Borough for per- mits to make pave cuts, although it's required to, he added. “The water is so bad I won't even give it to my dog,” said Kingston Township resident Marc ~ Kovalchik, RN, a customer of the Midway Manor division. “I'm con- cerned about the water's possible health hazards. On our street within the last twoyears two people about 37 years old have died of cancer. Is the company testing the water for carcinogens?” He said he either buys water or gets spring water from the public pump at Frances Slocum State Park for his family to drink. Midway Manor customer Eleanor Rodda, a member of the Kingston Township Water Com- mission, said she alsois concerned about the purity of the water. “We never hear of any boil advi- sories,” she said. “What about the young mothers who use tap water to make formula for their babies?” Attending the hearings were PUC administrative law judge Debra Paist, attorneys Wayne T. Scott from the PUC'’s office of trial staff and Gicine P. Brognola from the consumer advocates office, NUI president Joseph Bontrager and NUI's attorney Anthony C. Lomma. Paist said she will make her recommendations by August 29. /The PUC will hold three days of evidentiary hearings in June and render its geeision, by! October 28. a Athletic and Casual Footwear & Apparel sneAKER KING "Walking, Shoe Prices Fut the? Spring Pack in Jour §tep! 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers