Sey 2 Newspaper Since 1889 The Dallas Post 50 cents SISEVINE Il | =HOI@]\VI\VISIHIERI=CHO] il I | =0 5 VAY BM BARCTR I WAY of =H I =o LV VAN NIRS OF » [O]@] ES BI ISH B 21 [OF BS) w Vol. 111 No.2 Sprayin' in the wind Dallas firefighter Bob Besecker kept a close eye as he tested out Dallas Fire and Ambulance's 2000 Pierce Quantum Rescue Engine. In addition to firefighting capability, the unit has a permanent set of rescue tools including a Jaws of Life. Brett Slocum, chief, siad the {) new engine replaces the company's 1977 American LaFrance, By KASIA McDONOUGH Post Staff JACKSON TWP. - Asa public hearing date approaches, Bernard Banks, owner of American As- phalt Paving Co., and Jackson Township supervisors appear no closer to resolving a long-running dispute over mining at the company’s Chase quarry. “I keep hearing the people have to make up their minds,” said Banks. “But it’s the supervisors who have to decide. If they agree to change it (the zoning designa- tion) back to mining the lawsuits are all over. If not we'll just con- tinue in the courts.” The matter, which has been the subject of legal action by both parties, stems from a 1976 zoning ordinance designating the prop- erty in question for agricultural use. American Asphalt officials, intending to expand their mining operations, had been negotiating with Pennsylvania Gas & Water and a private land owner to pur- chase two parcels adjoining the company's property on Chase Road. In 1977 as the sale of the Crumley and Theta parcels was finalized, preparations for mining began. “We started moving dirt, clearing trees, building road and test drilling,” said Banks. “I didn’t learn about the meeting where the zoning ordinance changed the Theta and Crumley property from M-1 to A-1 until October of 1977.” Banks contends the 1976 ordi- nance is invalid because the pub- lic meeting at which the action was taken was not appropriately advertised. “They didn’t notify the groups that would be affected about the meeting and they didn’t advertise it in the papers as re- quired by law,” said Banks. “Con- sequently, we do not honor that ordinance as being valid.” Marlene Pawlowski, who was hired as Jackson Township plan- ner in 1976, has been involved with this case from the beginning. “I went into this with an open mind and I still have an open mind,” she said. “But Mr. Banks iswrongifhe said 1976 ordinance does not exist. It certainly exists. Dallas, Pennsylvania POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK which was sold to help offset the $350,000 cost of the new unit. He said the fire company needed this type engine because of the frequency of auto accidents and other emergencies to which they are called. The department also maintains another fire engine, a tanker-and an ambulance. Quarry quarrel comes to head Thursday POST PHOTO/KASIA McDONOUGH One of several crushers at the American Asphalt quarry. Boulders are placed in a chute where they are broken into smaller particles. The ground stone is used to make road surfacing materials. “The bottom line is he did not contest the action; he just went along his merry 3 old way and mined all the land zoned o Jor opieuine.” : | ~ Marlene Pawlowski Zoning consultant He has known about it all along and we have fact showing he was at the meeting when the changes were made.” Pawlowski said residents can appeal zoning decisions within a 30 day period. *The bottom line is he did not contest the ac- tion; he just went along his merry old way and mined all the land zoned for agriculture,” she said. The ordinance, which changed the Theta and Crumley proper- ties’ designation from mining to agriculture, was just one of a se- ries of zoning changes made by Public Hearing VTE EVAR EI EO A oY (WF: 1 CRIT glo FoTol go [Te] pI] ed elo] the township in the middle and late 1970’s. “There were innu- merable problems with the Jack- son Township zoning ordinances and we set out to eliminate them,” said Pawlowski. “We began by adding interim amendments until we could go back and update everything so there would be a comprehensive township ordinance.” Township planners completed their review of all zoning regula- tions and a new set of ordinances was adopted in 1979. “We don’t dispute the 1979 ordinance,” said Banks. “But we had already ¥ Ro started mining the Crumley and Theta portion prior to it being passed so we applied for a certifi- cate of non-conforming use. The supervisors denied our applica- tion in May (1979).” Over the course of the next two years, Banks appeared before the zoning hearing board on numer- ous occasions offering an esti- mated 2,000 pages of testimony. The board denied American Asphalt’s challenge to the 1976 and 1979 ordinances in April of 1982. “That's when it became a matter for the courts,” said Banks. “We filed an appeal with the Luzerne County Court of Com- mon Pleas and Attorney McCall was appointed a referee.” Numerous meetings and for- mal hearings were held during the next three years. “In February 1985 Attorney McCall told both sides to negotiate a settlement,” said Banks. “We submitted a pro- posal to change the zoning desig- nation back to mining. Included See QUARRY, pg 8 January 12, 2000 thru January 18, 2000 Zoning board asked to rescind trailer permit Solicitor says an appeal must be filed first — By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff DALLAS TWP. - More than 20 residents of the Kunkle section turned out for a meeting of the township zoning board Monday night, asking that the board re- verse a decision that allowed Daniel Meeker to place a mobile home on a lot at the intersection of Kunkle Rd. and County Rd. Before they could speak, Frank Townend, solicitor for the town- ship supervisors, stated their op- position to the permit that al- lowed Meeker a variance as long as a permanent foundation is built under the structure by Feb. 15. “We think the trailer is a violation of the zoning code,” Townend said. “We are recommending and re- questing that you revoke or re- scind the permit for Dan Meeker’s trailer.” by someone Doug Higgins presented zon- ing board members with a letter making a similar request, and a petition that he said contained signatures of 89 people who want the permit revoked. Township supervisor Frank Wagner added his voice to the controversy. “It’s not a hardship, and it is a rental. The one that applied for the permit is not going See TRAILER, pg 8 Dallas considers new tests By KASIA McDONOUGH - Post Staff DALLAS - Administrators in the Dallas School District are con- sidering implementing a new stan- dardized testing system. The Terra Nova Tests would replace the Cali- fornia Achievement Test (CAT) currently used by the district. The district administers CAT to students in first through 10th grade. New statewide standards require students in the third, fifth, sixth, ninth and 11th grades to take the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. A group of teachers, adminis- trators and guidance counselors reviewed the standardized testing program and recommended the district adopt a new form of test- ing. “The first thing we looked at was the time factor,” said Speziale. “We spend about two weeks of every academic year administer- ing the CAT tests and another two week block of time administering the PSSA tests. In some grades, we lose four weeks of instruction. That creates a problem, especially at the high school where we have the intensive schedule.” “We should be testing the curriculum, not Just by teachers’ standards but by national Ss tandards.” Dr. Gil Griffiths Superintendent of f Schools 3 The Terra Nova Tests are simi- lar to the PSSA in both form and function. “The CAT provides lon- gitudinal data which the district has compiled and used over the years,” said Speziale. “From that information, we can see that Dal- las has been very consistent over the years. Unfortunately that’s about all we can learn from re- viewing CAT scores over the years, where the Terra Nova and PSSA give us much more valid data.” Speziale said the CAT provides norm reference scores while the Terra Nova Tests and the PSSA provide both reference and per- formance scores. “The CAT is not designed to find out what kids know but what they don’t know,” he said. “Ifthe test's authors know there is a question every kid in the country is likely to get right they are going to throw it out. They are looking for questions about half the population will get right.” In contrast, the Terra Nova Tests and the PSSA ask questions See TESTS, pg 8 14 Pages, 2 Section Calendar...........c..... 14 Classified............. 12-13 Crossword.......c....... 14 Editorials........c.s. vive 4 Obituaries................. 12 SCROON....cisaiiiiensss ves 11 SPOS. ...cuimuenics inns 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@aol.com 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 ~ Sef
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