» J The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, August 6, 1997 5 Lo Ol SEE Jackson (continued from page 1) the company of mining outside e designated zone. The case began in January. » Chairperson Walter Glogowski explained that the township so- licitor, Blythe Evans, advised the supervisors not to release the in- formation. But Glogowski and the other supervisors do not agree with Evans’ recommendation. “We will supply you with what you want to know because it is a mat- ter of public record, but we will not turn them over,” Glogowski said. Banks will be allowed to review the bills, but will not be allowed to make copies. Fred Murray, a township resi- dent, asked the supervisors how much they had paid solicitor Evans in the American Asphalt case. Glogowski gave Murray a year to date cost of $17,000, but noted, that this included other services, not just the court case. W Murray expressed concern that E,: his * ‘tax dollars” were being used to _pay the court costs. “If the supervisors in the township had done their job, we wouldn't be in the middle of this court case,’ Murray said. In other news, the supervisors werp notified that Proctor and Gamble intends to do logging in Plymouth Township and will be using a route that will go through ‘Jackson Township. The paper products manufacturer will haul approximately 50 loads of logs over-Mizdale Road between the end of August and.the end of September. Mizdale Road is currently in the process of being resurfaced. “Drainage work has already be- gan,” supervisor John Wilkes Jr. said. Glogowski recommended the township contact Proctor and Gamble to ask them to use an alternate route. “Once we lay that new macadam down we don’t want to. see it destroyed in the first month,” Glogowski said. Also during the meeting, the supervisors voted unanimously to appoint secretary Henry Zbiek designated agent for Federal Emergency Management Associa- tion (FEMA) grants. This will mean Zbiek will have authorization to complete FEMA records and re- ports, Glogowski announced that the next Back Mountain Communi- cations Center meeting will be | heldon August 12 at the Kingston Township} 911 concerns. Glogowski invited concerned citizens to attend the meeting. = unicipal Building. The meeting i§ beirig held to address ‘saturday, August 9. 7 - 3 p.m. "The Furniture Workshop 115 W. Center Hill Rd. Dallas NETL ERS Summer ATTA eo IT] EF: [=H on all Summer Clothing Hours: Mon. & Thurs. 10-7 Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat.,, 10-5 | 693-5955 | * VISA MC 250 W. 8th Street W. Wyoming, PA Combine your auto and homeowners insurance policies into 0] Comprehensive Coverage Competitive Rates (of \ J: RO TV=T EF: Security Policy (oF:]/ H Slocum Insurance [aXe [To [VAR [oR 575 Memorial Hwy. Dallas, PA 18612 675-1167 A Send The Post to a friend ‘It makes a great gift Call 675-5211 for details By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff CENTERMORELAND - Sitting in their living room which once served as the first main office of the Commonwealth Telephone Company (CTCO), Karl and Helen Besteder recall a time before voice mail, digital menus and electronic operators. The Besteders managed the Centermoreland Exchange in downtown Centermoreland from 1946 until 1951, when the ex- change became automated. They have lived in the same building since that time. The Besteders were good at what they did be- cause they had good teachers, Karl's parents. Walter and Ruby Besteder be- gan managing the exchange in about 1920. They stayed there until 1944 when someone else ran it for two years before their son and daughter-in-law took it over. They elder Besteders made 18 cents an hour and were an integral part of the community. “My father would take mes- sages for people. Someone like the veterinarian in town would call him and say, ‘Walter, I'm go- ing tobe out for about three hours, so let everyone know,’ “ recalled Mr. Besteder, 80. “If someone went out of town, they would tell Ruby to let people know they weren’t home,” added Mrs. Besteder. Mr. Besteder’s father would often walk to neigh- bors’ homes and hand deliver messages to them. Also, people could get an early morning wake- up call from Walter and Ruby. “That’s the kind of people they were,” said Mrs. Besteder, of her in-laws. The Besteders worked for the original owners of CTCO, Bert Strohl and William Gay before the company was bought by Andrew J. Sordoni in the 1930's, said Mr. Besteder. By 1946, Walter and Ruby were running the post office when their son and his wife moved their young family into the CTCO building and carried on a family legacy. After Walter's death, Ruby ran the post office until her retire- ment. The office /house has 13 rooms and the Besteders converted part of the downstairs into a living area, while the exchange was upstairs. Since then the entire ak This photo shows the present Besteder home, right center, as it appeared when it was the office for Commonwealth Telephone. Most of the employees are identified. From left, Clarence Gay, Clarence Boston, unidentied, Walter Sickler, Ira Walters, Olin house has been converted into living space, including five bed- rooms. Responsibilities of managing the exchange included hiring op- erators, keeping track of calls and organizing bills for the main (but not the first) office in Dallas. “It was an interesting job. I liked it,” said Mrs. Besteder. The exchange had only a small sys- tem with two lines to Dallas, one to Pittston, one to Tunkhannock and two to Wilkes-Barre. It was a 24 hour job. “Some- times you would just sleep right there on the couch next to the exchange and jump up when someone called,” said Mrs. Besteder. Most operators worked from noon to six o'clock and the couple would work the rest of the night. Florence Weaver, now in her 90's, was one of the original operators and still ' lives Centermoreland. Besteders are still close. unidentified, Ruth Weber. She and the . POST PHOTO/KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Karl and Helen Besteder stand on the porch of their home that is also the original Commonwealth Telephone Company main office in Centermoreland. The company is celebrating its centennial this . year. : stories of inevitable eavesdrop- own phone line, they had party Mr. Besteder laughs ashe tells pers. Hardly anyone had their lines that had as many as 14 Learn tax preparation from the people WhO wrote the book Learn how to minimize your tax liability and keep more of what you earn with an H&R Block tax training course. Study with the nation's number one tax preparation firm, and you'll discover how to make the tax laws work for you. You'll also learn what you need to know to begin earning money as a qualified tax preparer* Enroll in an H&R Block tax training course. id For more information, call 3 1-800-TAX-2000 or visit our web site at www. hrblock.com/tax HsR BLOCK AA EEO/M/F/D/V *Completion of the course is neither an offer nor a guarantee of employment. Code = 100 Rogers, Hiram Kelly, Lorenzo Myers, William Kelly, Maude Heitsman, unidentified, unidentified, Gladys Shook, unidentified, .: Anna Besteder, unidentified, Anna Transue, Alice Schoonover, people on a line. All anyone had, to do to hear someone else's con- versation was pick up their phone,’ he said. “You could always tell if some- one was on the line,” said Mr. Besteder. “There ‘was ‘The Breather’ and ‘The Person With the Big Clock.” That's how every- one knew each other’s business.” Also, there was the occasional drunk who would try to make a date with one of the operators. They did not know the operators were mostly older ladies, said Mr. Besteder, with a smile. In 1951, a lot of changes took’ place. While Mrs. Besteder was having her second child, the com~+ pany moved the exchange down-. stairs at her request. The ex~ change became fully automated after the move, and did not re- quire manual connecting. Al- though the Besteders were out of a job, they kept the building. “They decided to sell it, so'T bought it in 1951,” said Mr. Besteder. The couple did not charge the company rent for the first couple of years. “Then we charged $12 the first year and: $25 the next and they moved out,”. said Mrs. Besteder. ee There are few remnants of the company in the Besteders’ home. An old power board remains from" the automated system, but now’ the house is full of pictures of grandchildren and cozy, made:, up bedrooms for their family: and’ guests. Dir ector: Maureen Devine _ © 1997 H&R Block Tax Services Inc. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers