Vol. 108 No. 28 Dallas, Pennsylvania The Back Mountain's 5 « Newspaper Since 1889 50¢ July 9 thru July 15, 1997 " School board plans security cameras, parking lot gates By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - The Dallas School Board has big plans to help insure a more secure district. At its regular meeting Monday night, the board approved the solicitation of bids for security systems and related precautionary systems in- tended for all the schools within the district. The meeting focused specifically on high school security. - The district plans to have buzzers in- stalled at all front doors accompanied by cameras that feed images into the main offices, so visitors can be cleared before entering. Each Fortress Dallas? Board member James Richardson said the system would be a waste since you school also will have doors that open only from the inside to prevent unknown visitors from entering schools. The board is also seeking ways to deter students from smoking in the bath- rooms. Superintendent Dr. Gil Griffiths said there is a problem with students smoking in the high school and that he is looking into vandal-proof smoke detec- tors. According to Charlotte Williams, business manager, T.J. Cannon will be Former councilman trapped in his own net HARVEYS LAKE - Document- ing his own alleged misconduct has former Harveys Lake council- man David Abod in hot water. Harveys Lake Borough patrol- man James Karlowicz said in a criminal complaint filed with Dis- trict Justice James Tupper that he was twice called to the area of Pole 155 March 22 for a dispute between neighbors. When he first arrived atabout 11:20 a.m., David and Dora Abod told him their neighbor, James Pugh, was ille- gally cutting up their dock so that he could build his own in its place. Pugh has maintained for several years that Abod’s dock was im- properly placed in front of his property. Abod, 43, has responded with a variety of justifications, including a claim of squatter’s rights to the property. Pugh produced a court order giving him the right to remove Abod’s dock. Karlowicz said in his report that he advised the Abods they could not interfere with Pugh, and they responded that they would only video tape Pugh'’s ac- tions. Karlowicz was called back to the property at about 12:45 p.m., and both Pugh and Abod claimed the other had assaulted him. Abod See ABOD, pg 2 solicited for bids. ; Griffiths said two types of detectors were available. One would light up out- side the bathroom at which time an aide could go in and catch the smoker, the other would send an audio alarm to the office. The school rule book says a stu- dent can be punished only for smoking if he/she is physically caught with the cigarette. can't tell who was smoking anyway. “We'd have no more leverage than we have right now. We have to tell the principal to have teachers monitor the bathrooms,” he told the board. “By doing all this Band-Aid stuff we're over- looking that we have people who work there who could check on it.” Jack Wega, who runs the distance learning lab at the high school, said the rule is part of the problem. “Why do you have to catch them with the cigarette in their mouth?” he asked. Cathy Wega, a high school reading specialist, agreed. “We have no authority since nothing can happen to the stu- dent,” she said. Students can easily dispose of a cigarette, especially when behind the stall door, said Wega. The district is also expecting to put up gates to close off the student parking lot from 8:05 a:m. to 2:55 p.m. Installation of the gates is estimated to cost $4,000. See SECURITY, pg 8 High pay, slim taxes plague Lehman By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff LEHMAN - Despite Lake- Lehman's rocky budget road the last few years, its average teacher's salary is about $2,000 more than in the Dallas district. A Lake- Lehman teacher's average salary is $49,325 while at Dallas it is $47,155, according to figures pro- vided by each district's business manager. Lake-Lehman teachers received a 3.9 percent increase in the last year of the contract that expires in August. Contracts negotia- tions are still taking place. Teach- ers in the Dallas district main- tained their previous contract and will receive a pay increase of 2.7 percent thisyear. Lake-Lehman’s budget has no provisions for raises for teachers or administrators. Teacher's salaries make up about 60 percent of Lake- Lehman's budget and about 55 percent in Dallas. Both districts have had to take on costly renovations and addi- tions over the years, and face more in the near future. According to See LEHMAN, pg 8 34 Pages 3 Sections By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - As Maryann Daily organized her Nearly Old booth Monday, and Sharon Mayernick tenaciously polished a sterling silver ice holder, Ernie Ashbridge could be seen help- ing everyone get ready for the 51st annual Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction that begins Thursday. After helping Daily price and arrange her items, Ashbridge made his way to the barn to add finishing touches to the hundreds of antiques that will be sold. With the beautiful display set just so on the block, it seemed as though a tightly choreographed play was about to begin. The antiques are a main at- traction at the auction, and Ashbridge has never failed in 25 years to deliver the best. You might think Ashbridge would get a little predictable by now, and opt for what's easy and familiar. But year after year he has sifted through garage sales, estate sales, yard sales and any other place where unique and exquisite treasures are lurking, finding unique items that will bring more over the block than he has paid for them. This year will be Ashbridge’s swan song as head of antiques at the auction, as he has de- cided to retire from the job. As 1997 will be Ernie Ashbridge's swan song as antiques chairman he steps down, he leaves a legacy of volunteer service at its best. Ashbridge has brought in a huge selection to make this a year that will be long remem- bered. Many people, including Ashbridge, believe this is the best variety of fine antiques the auction has ever offered. Al- See AUCTION, pg 8 Calendar.................. 14 Classified.............. 12-13 Crossword.............ii.. 14 Edilorals..............on 4 Obituaries.................. 12 SCHOOL... ...co0eeeemninsnen 1] SPOS... inns 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING City kids enjoy summer of country fun By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff happy to have an ally in a family full of boys. “It's nice to have another girl around so I don’t lose my san- ity,” she said with a grin. The Fords are carrying on a tradi- tion that started in 1877 and they are more than happy to do so. They wanted a child who could come back year after year. Sixty percent of fund kids are asked to come back. They are eligible for the program between the ages of six and 12. If they stay with a family before they are 12, they can keep coming back until they are 18 years old, but are not allowed to start the program after they are teenagers. Host families are required to give references and a chairperson from Fresh Air Fund comes to their home to make sure the child will have a bed to sleep on and will be taken care of. Each host family is given a background of the child and list of preferences. They are also given a = “It’s good here. I like petting the dogs.” William, age 7 Bronx BACK MOUNTAIN - There are no swimming holes near Tempestt Casey's home in the Bronx, no friendly neighborhood dogs to pet. Living in the Back Mountain, we : may take the simplest and smallest things for granted, but for some New York City children, riding a bike and going for a swim add up to asummer they'll never forget. It's #@ all made possible by the Fresh Air ~ Fund and caring families. * The Fresh Air Fund is a program that allows children from the inner city to stay with a host family in a suburb or on a farm during the summer. Both parties have fun and learn a lot about themselves and each other. Tempestt Casey, 11, lives in a : building 20 floors tall. If she waves a at a passing plane it’s not doubtful the pilot might see her. She has parents, two brothers and a close- knit extended family. She loves to swim, play basketball, work on the computer and ride bikes. This is her third year with the Fords, who live at Harveys Lake, and over the years she's become one of the family. “It was fun and I wanted to come back,” said Tempestt of her first year at Harveys Lake. “There is a lot of stuff you can do out here that you can't where I live. You can’t go to a lake just like that. In New York you leave anything, it'd be gone. I keep saying ‘lock the door, lock the door’.” Dave and Kathy Ford say Tempestt fits in well with their five children, who range in age from four to 14. “The kids wanted another playmate,” said Dave Ford. Their only daughter Kristine, is 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 Tempestt Casey is surrounded by her summer family, the Fords of Harveys Lake. Clockwise from lower left; Timmy, 9, Kathy Ford, Dave Ford, Benjamin, 8, Kristine, 14, Joshua, 4. Matthew, 13, not pictured. See FRESH AIR, pg 8
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