20 Gas ad fo * oh NN dil Un The Back Mountain's ~ Newspaper Since 1889 | ; | Y UE 50 Cents SIS BAVADNCT Ro I =HO1@]\VI\V/[S]\I BNI =tSHO) ol lo | =S0 B VAY BM WANS WAN J = Ml = 2 [VAY NN RST OF z [0 Jo | I BI ES) BE = {[0F BS 0 Vol. 110 No. 14 Dallas, Pennsylvania | April 7 thru April 13, 1999 re we there yet? Lake-Lehman gains a on insurance costs Double coverage to end, new hires must take lower-cost plan By KASIA McDONOUGH : Post Staff Newly hired employees of the Lake-Lehman School District will not be offered the premium health insurance plan currently provided to teachers and staff. In place of that program, those hired afterJuly 1, 1999 can choose between a First Priority HMO plan or a First Priority Point of Service plan. Teachers and staff mem- bers who are currently employed by Lake-Lehman will have the ~ option of keeping the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield indemnity plan. “The traditional Blue Cross/ Blue Shield plan with major medi- cal costs the district $307.90 for a single person and $812.86 for family coverage each month,” said Kathleen Williams, district busi- ness manager. “The First Priority plans offered to new employees will cost $155.96 per month for single coverage and $449.93 per month for families.” : Bruce Campbell, district ne- gotiator, explained that this - change is a major victory for the . school district. “The Education ° Association did not initially ac- - cept therecommendation that new hires receive the First Priority plan,” said Campbell. “The provi- sions set forth in this contract are better than the alternative recom- mended by the fact finder's re- port.” Other changes to health care coverage include a clause requir- ing an employee to drop health care coverage if a spouse is also . an employee of the school district. The employee who drops the du- plicate benefits will receive a monthly payment of $100 from the district. Previously, premiums were paid to provide health insur-- See INSURANCE, pg 8 ~~! Bothsides get, give a little in new contract A road sign lying by the mural painted on the side of the former Dallas Bike Shop seems to point motorists into the rebuilding the intersection at the center of Dallas. By MEIRA ZUCKER Post Correspondent BACK MOUNTAIN - Although the arrival of the millennium is nine months away, residents of the Back Mountain are already preparing for potential problems. Several businesses report that customers have been purchasing products in preparation for the end of the century. Ochman Coins and Jewelry on Church Street in Dallas has al- ready witnessed the increased demand for coins and metals. “We do have people that come in in preparation for Y2K," reports Fran Ochman. Area residents are pur- chasing gold coins, particularly 1/10 and 1 ounce American Eagles, both of which are minted and backed by the U.S. govern- ment. The 1/10 ounce coins sell for approximately $38 to $40, depending on the price of gold. American Eagles fluctuate daily, and are currently approximately $310. “They're buying them as an in- surance policy,” comments Ochman. Buyers know that they can get their investment back, she adds, because of the world- wide intrinsic value of gold. Cus- tomers are also choosing to accu- mulate one-ounce silver ingots and coins. Nationwide, the demand for sil- ver. and gold is up, reports Ochman. The March 29 issue of Coin World, a trade publication, notes that “sales of bullion coins are also way up.” The magazine features several advertisements for Y2K products, including a one- ounce silver coin called the “Offi- cial Barter Unit,” sold by the "Y2K Silver Company.” Two to three people a week visit Ochman'’s looking for precious metals. “These are people prepar- ing in other ways,” believes Ochman. At House of Nutrition, custom- ers have requested dehydrated vegetables and cases of foods. One person ordered 250 pounds of bulk foods, according to employ- ees, and another has purchased cases of soy milk. The employees believe that the rush has not yet begun. “I don’t think it’s really hit yet,” mentions one employee, who asked not to be named. Hilbert’'s Equipment reports * * Y2K fears showing up at area businesses sales of several generators and a waiting list for more. “The price has doubled on generators from our suppliers,” says an employee, “and one supplier has them on back order until 2002.” Hilbert’s is preparing for more demand as the end of the year approaches. Kathy O’Donnoghue, Nursery Manager at Dallas Agway, antici- pates a future Y2K push for prod- ucts. She points out that Agway sells canning supplies, seeds, tools and work clothing, and will order generators. . “We'll get in, O’Donnoghue adds, along with other edible plants. “I'm surprised we haven't had that push yet.” Not every business has experi- enced this early upsurge. Rich See Y2K, pg 8 ” in English, business By MEIRA ZUCKER Post Correspondent DALLAS - In high school, Jared Numbers conquered, Dukas tackles words Now a junior at King's, he edits paper, majors By KASIA McDONOUGH " Post Staff LAKE-LEHMAN - Teachers and school district officials agreed to a new contract thatleaves both sides hungry for more. The new deal was the topic of heated discussion at last week's school board meeting. Amid pro- tests from several members of the Lake-Lehman Taxpayers’ Associa- tion, the board ratified the collec- tive bargaining agreement upon the recommendation of its chief negotiator, Bruce Campbell. “We tried to negotiate a settle- ment that can be realized and I think we have done that,” said Campbell. The term of the con- tract is four years beginning Sep- tember 1, 1997 and ending Au- gust 31, 2001. The agreement includes a one year wage freeze, retroactive to the first year of the deal. The freeze results in no new money spent for the academic year 1997- 1998. The second year of the contract calls for an average wage increase of 3.2 percent, which translates into a cost of $220,000 for 1998- 1999. The teachers will receive a salary boost of 3.3 percent for the third year, which is equivalent to See CONTRACT, pg-8 Hl Cleaning up Encon wins award for environmental improvements & | Dukas discovered he had a flair for numbers. At King's College, a talent for writing found its way to the surface. Now, he is combining the two interests as he looks for- ward to wrapping up a pair of undergraduate degrees. Dukas, who lives in Dallas, has just been honored with a McGowan Scholarship for busi- ness students. King's College awards full scholarships each year around its plant. Pg 3. HM Even-steven Dallas and Lehman girls soccer teams end two overtimes in scoreless tie. Sports page. 14 Pages, 2 Sections The Dallas Post MAILING LABEL- Please enclose this label with any address changes, & & to two students, who after com- i pleting requirements must endure Calendar.................. 14 a lengthy personal interview. Classified. ........... 12-13 Dukas earned the honor while Crossword................ 14 a | carrying out the many responsi- Editorials. ..............iv 4 I bilities of his younglife. He carries Obituaries.............; 12 yd 2 double major in English and School. ji..nd aiid 11 ; accounting. He works 20 hours a : SPOONS... clan. 9 week at Red Lobster. In his spare time, he has worked his way up to | become managing editor of the j,.04 pukas prepared to lay out a page of The Crown, the student newspaper at King's College. FOR HOME DELIVERY, | See JARED DUKAS, pg 3 pykas is carrying a double major while serving as managing editor of the publication. NEWS OR ADVERTISING tg E-mail: dalpost@aol.com POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK CALL 675-5211 and mail to The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612-0366 Te
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers