ne ~The Dallas Post SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Vol. 109 No. 52 Dallas, Pennsylvania 50 Cents December 30 thru January 5, 1998 Big news or small, more good than bad Following are weel- by-weelk excerpts from issues of The Dallas Post in 1998. This is not meant to be alist of the “top stories,” but rather a selection that touches all aspects of | ~. life in the Back Moun- | “tain. You'll find some interesting items, and we hope also geta sam- pling of the individuals and organizations that make the Back Moun- tain such a good place to live, work and raise families. Jan. 7: Neighbors of the Dallas School Dis- trict property appealed | a. decision by the Dallas Township Zoning Board granting a variance of setbacks for proposed new playing fields. Bruce Phillips, an attorney who lives adjacent to the fields, is leading the effort to enforce a 100 ft. setback, instead of the 15 ft. granted. An administrative law judge rebuffed a claim by Dallas Borough Tax Collec- tor Tom Reese that he is entitled to a pension from the school district. Reese claimed his status meant he should be considered an employee, but the hear- ing examiner disagreed. Dr.-George Cimochowski of Dallas recently returned from Warsaw, where he attended a special holiday 1998 /, review fundraising concert for the Litewska Children’s Hospital. He serves on the hospital's board of directors. Jan. 14: Some members of the Lake- Lehman school board opposed a plan to provide special bus runs for “disruptive” students, at extra cost. The board also planned to hire an aide to ride the buses and help keep order. Traveling south on KU.© suY, Scott Sanfilippo of Dallas swerved to the right to avoid hitting an oncoming car, and ended up driving his ‘98 Pontiac over the curb and into the landscaping in front of the McDonald's in Shavertown. Land- Continued on page 6 / Some photos from : 1998. Above left, Kevin Augustine got a welcome drenching at the hands of his daughter, Kristin after the Greater Wilkes- Barre Triathlon. He was the top local finisher. Brian Blase, above right photo, cele- brated his graduation from Dallas High School with John Turner, his history teacher. Scott Sanfilippo of Dallas escaped injury when his car jumped the landscaping in front ofthe McDonald's in Shavertown after he swerved to avoid an oncoming car, above. Newgymwill open in January ~~ DALLAS - The Dallas School Board toured the nearly completed Dallas Elementary gymnasium dur- ing its December meeting. The new gym is set to open Jan. 25. High schoolvelleyball, wrestling and bas- “ ketball teams will use it for practice. Basketball games cannot be held in the facility because it is not PIAA regulated. It will seat 250 people. In a move to entice substitute teachers to stay with the district, the board unanimously voted to in- crease their daily rate from $55 to $60. After 30 days of service per year as a substitute, the rate will increase again to $65 per day. Each year the $65 rate will be in effect Jan. 4 through the end of the school year, then the process cycles. : -Kylie Shafferkoetter Thumbs down for water co. rate hike request By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff SHAVERTOWN - In part because of its history of poor service and customer com- plaints, a rate increase request from Na- tional Utilities Inc. has beens suspended by the state Public Utilities Commission, and action that could hold up any rate change until July. National Utilities serves Midway Manor, in Shavertown, Oak Hill in Lehman and Warden Place and Rhodes Terrace at Harveys Lake. Nearly a year ago, Charles Gemberling was waiting for National Utilities to find a leak in its lines that was flooding his yard. The company claimed at the time that water flowing into basements on Woodbine Rd. came from a spring, not its lines. Gemberling knew better. “It's been broken three times in 25 years,” he said. “It took almost three weeks to find it.” Gemberling said. His property is the first the line runs through after leaving the well. After the leak was fixed, the yard was still a mess. The company finally came back in May to grade, but didn’t do a very ~ good job, Gemberling said. “I figure it will take me another year to get the yard in shape, but who knows, there might be another break by then.” Gemberling said customers had to in- stall meters during summer at their own expense. Cost him about $200. Water bill went up about $5 every two months to 838. “My water bill went up about $5, which is not big deal.” Now the company wants to increase the annual average bill in Midway Manor and Warden Place from $185 to $291. In Oak Hill the rate would go to $562 from the present $357, and in Rhodes Terrace the increase would be from $266 to $419. Sharon Wilmarth, a spokesperson for Students plan trip through history By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), said the majority of rate requests are suspended. “Complaints have a lot to do with it,” she said. Sometimes the PUC offers a compromise that is accepted. National Utilities had asked for a total increase of $447,026 from its 3,046 cus- tomers. A request filed in 1996 for a $448,200 increase was denied. The latest one was filed Oct. 30, 1998. “Some people don’t know how to file a formal complaint,” Wilmarth said. Cus- tomers may call a toll-free number, 1- 800-782-1110, for a complaint form. Wilmarth said the case will be as- signed toa PUC administrative law judge. After a conference with the parties, pub- lic hearings will be scheduled. Gemberling said a rumor had install- ing meters as first step to another com- pany taking NUI over, which is some- times the result when the PUC will not grant a rate increase. Taxpayers oppose plan for Lehman middle school By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff LEHMAN - The fate of Lake-Lehman’s middle level building has proven to be a source of dissention in the community. Some people, including the school’s prin- cipal, believe building an addition onto the high school and moving the middle grades to that location is the best option. Others firmly maintain that the 57-year- old blond brick building could and should be renovated. Bob Roberts, middle level principal, says the building simply no longer suits the educational needs of the students. “At one time the middle school was a very functioning building and served the com- munity very well,” he said. But Roberts said the general condition of the building has deteriorated. He cited poor ventilation, contaminated drinking water and the lack of essentials, such as science labs, as reasons to leave the building. “The rooms designated as sci- ence rooms are done so because they have sinks. The rooms are woefully inad- equate for experiments,” said Roberts. Substandard room size and a “septic See MIDDLE SCHOOL, pg 3 Insurance costs will be stable for three years LEHMAN - It looks as if the Lake- Lehman School District's participation in a health insurance consortium with Plan 3 Inc. has proven beneficial. The district, which was averaging an eight to 14 per- ~>nt increase per year with Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, will be guaranteed no in- crease for three years, said Dr. William Price, superintendent. “This is a positive move to unify efforts and to bring about a realistic Blue Cross/ Blue Shield plan. The rate will be more equitable,” Price said, during the Decem- ber school board meeting. Lois Kopcha, Ron Payne and Rose Howard voted down a recommendation to approve 75¢ per hour pay raises for three confidential support secretaries. Payne said he is not against giving the employees a raise, but thinks 75¢ is too much. The motion passed 5-4 and was retroactive to July 1. The board appointed five coaches Joseph DeCesaris was reassigned to jun- ior high varsity assistant boys’ basket- ball coach ata salary of $3,517; Theodore Sadowski is the junior high assistant boys’ basketball coach at a salary of $2,350; William Dunn is the junior high volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach; Michael Wilkins is the assistant ‘baseball coach at a salary of $2,018; and Nafty Hage is a volunteer boys’ basketball coach. By Kylie Shafferkoetter HM Fine fare Lake-Lehman sopho- mores offer internationa treats. Pg 2. birds are stocked, hunte HB Feathered food Pheasant season opens, a D = oi Some members of the American Literature Field Studies Association at a recent. meeting about their May trip to New England. Standing, from left, Ben Uzdilla, Jen Noon, Jen Dombroski, Sarah Ruckno, Mrs. Buda, Abbie Pisacano and Kelly Bevilaqua; sitting, Chrissy Duris, Kerry Neiman, Tara Holly, Angela Augustinski, Jennifer Buzunis and Kate Weiss. They will spend a day with curators of the museums in Plymouth, see the famous Plymouth Rock and explore the Mayflower II. CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@aol.com 7 oh) = ZO OO en on O Ea = — -— SR Hz Post Staff rs oo = asked to return bands. Pg a) = 5 DALLAS - For the past 15 years, Dallas High School 10. pn = students have had the opportunity to get a firsthand look 3 ee at some of the historical sites they previously only read | INDEX | yoy, about in books. = 2g This year, students of the American Literature Field 5% Studies Association, are already in the midst of planning 14 Pages, 2 Sections 0) 9 Oo their annual pilgrimage, in May 1999. Calendar... 14 LE The four-day field trip will take approximately 35 juniors Classified... 12-13 = 3 8 and seniors to New England sites featured in their Ameri- Crossword 14 a can Literature textbook. The jam-packed itinerary in- Edionals, aia 4 E Ne cludes a tour of Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the / Ohals AE = Aa first Pilgrims landed their boats. Students will tour dune OPHUBIIES. oc veseiiess 12 < 2 a) 2 sites with ecologists, climb to the peak of the Pilgrim SChool.........l..... 00... 13 7 a POSTRHOIONYL IES Monument, and tour the Pilgrim Museum. Spors.. 9-10 Z — zs = = See HISTORY, pg 2
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers