Dallas, Pennsylvania The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 December 6 to December 12, 2001 L United We Stand Vol. 112. No. 49 SPORTS Dallas, Lehman girls play in Bearde Memorial. Pg. 9. COMMUNITY Local barbershop singers will join in concert. Pg 12. 50 Cents SCHOOL Veterans Day program held at POST PHOTO/ELIZABETH ANDERSON Representatives of the state Dept. of Environmental Protection explained measures being taken to track and cor- rect chemical contamination in and around the American Asphalt property. From left: David Ryan, P.G., hydroge- ologist; Mark Carmon, Community Re- lations Coordinator, Northeast Region- al Office; Joe Brogna, Environmental Program Manager of the Environmen- '@ tal Cleanup Program. DEP tells residents their water IS safe o— Lag in notification of chemical draws fire By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent JACKSON TWP. - Jackson Township residents engaged in heated discussion on an old topic with representatives of the Department of Environmental Pro- tection (DEP) Monday, Dec. 3, after the @ regular Jackson Township board of su- pervisors meeting. Most comments and questions cen- tered on the lack of public notification by the DEP of well water contamination by trichloroethane (TCA), the possible further migration of the contamination Police, township get nowhere in contract talks By NICHOLAS PETRUNCIO Special to The Dallas Post DALLAS TWP. — Both sides in the contract dispute between township offi- cials and police officers met last month to work out their differences, but no deal was reached. The dispute at this point appears to be headed toward ar- bitration. A January 25 date has been set. The sides met for four hours Nov. 7, township secretary/treasurer Glenn Howell said. “We've talked with them, but nothing has changed,” Howell said. He refused to discuss the matter fur- ther because the dispute looks as though it will be resolved by an arbitra- tor. Supervisors and police have been ne- gotiating since May for a new contract. Police say their pay is below the aver- age salary of officers in neighboring communities. They have asked for a 15- percent increase to bring salaries up to the average. Supervisors offered 3 per- cent at an Oct. 2 public meeting. Under the current contract, officers pay half their health benefits. That's too much to handle for officers such as Fred Rosencrans. “I'm looking else- where, I'll tell you that. ... It's a nice community, and I don’t want to leave. But paying half my benefits and living and when any remediation action will be taken, if ever, to correct the situa- tion. Joe Brogna, Environmental Program Manager of the Environmental Cleanup Program of the DEP, admitted public notification of contamination has been poor. While legislation is now underway to require public notification, he added, “I can’t say that we're doing things dif- ferently today than we did in 1991.” “I think it's important to explain that See JACKSON TWP., pg 7 *‘You can help’ police tell crime watch members By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent JACKSON TWP. - Ordinary citizens can be the best prevention against crime, police officials said at the first of- ficial Neighborhood Crime Watch meet- ing of Jackson Township last week. Ideas for improving awareness of the new Crime Watch group, increasing membership and participation and ac- quiring Crime Watch signs were dis- cussed. The police department also pro- vided information on keeping home and family safe. Last month, after Charles Baloh, community liaison officer of the district attorney’s office, presented Jackson Township residents with information on the benefits and advantages of a neigh- borhood crime watch, the residents vot- ed to start their own program. Baloh was unable to attend the Nov. 28 meet- ing to assist the fledgling group in set- Jing up the program, but it still proved to be constructive. The group’s new co- See CRIME WATCH, pg 7 By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent DALLAS - Dallas High School's Fri- day night performance of “Rally ‘Round The Flag, Boys” was as enjoy- able as it was hilarious and easily worth five times the $3 ticket price. Okay, 10. Adapted by David Rogers from the novel by Max Shulman, the creator of Dobie Gillis, the full- length comedy had the audience laughing al- most non-stop. When the Army chooses Putnam's Landing, Connecticut as the location for a new missile base, the townspeo- ple are in an uproar. Three love stories Colonel Thorwald (Sarah Klug) gives stodgy Captain Hoxie (Brad Lothridge) the good news on his next assignment dur- ing the Dallas High School performance of “Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys.” More photos on page 4. High school players ‘Rally ‘Round the Flag’ and several lesser plots lie beneath the main story and keep the plot interest- ing and the comedy rolling. The Back Mountain audience of about 200 peo- ple laughed from the opening scene to the resolution of all ills and the ending bows. The stage setting was minimal, causing the focus on the characters and their performances to be more in- tense. The large American flag hang- ing in the background was appropri- ate, not only to the military setting of the play but also in these newly patri- otic times. The manner of moving stage props around the stage was sim- ple and ingenious. Flubbed lines were POST PHOTO/ELIZABETH ANDERSON heard only twice, and recovery was quick and in character. The costumes were authentic to the period of the late 50s, early 60s, and fit so well! Stage direction was wonderful. The boys in leather jackets were appropriately posed at all times, without looking ar- tificial. Most outstanding was the comedic timing of the actors. The au- dience laughter never masked a line and the pauses of the cast for the laughter to die down weren't notice- able. They handled it like masters. In addition, it was clear the actors were having as much fun as the audience. See DALLAS PLAY, pg 4 paycheck to paycheck isn’t a good way to come in to work,” Rosencrans said at an Oct. 16 board of supervisors meet- ing. The pay increase for which officers have asked works out to approximately $4,000 for the first year and $1,000 more every year under a new contract. The current salary of a Dallas Town- See POLICE, pg 3 LL board votes 5-4 for bond change A Payments will go through bond firm, not to contractor By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent LEHMAN - In a special meeting for general purposes, Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Lake-Lehman school board voted 5-4 to execute an unusual funds administra- tion agreement with Main Electric Sup- ply and Contracting Co., Inc., the elec- trical contractor in the high school ad- dition and alterations project, and it's bonding company, ACSTAR Insurance Co. Main Electric had asked to change bonding companies at the last regular school board meeting and the new company is requesting a funds admin- istration agreement that would require the school district to funnel all monies through them. The bonding company switch will save Main Electric $23,000. None of the other 14 contract bidders has such an agreement in place. Charles Balavage, Joe Kapitula, Mod- erno Rossi, and Lois Kopcha voted against the action. Prior to the vote, Rossi and Balavage said they would vote against the action because of the uncharacteristic switch See BOND, pg 3 Foundation gives $20,000 boost to food bank POST PHOTO/SANDY PEOPLES Rev. Charles Naugle of the Trucksville United Methodist Church, accepted a $20,000 check from E. Lee Beard, president and CEO of First Federral Bank. Others present for the presentation were Louise Hazeltine, left, co-chairperson of the church building campaign; Rev. Charles Grube, second from right, secretary of the Back Mountain Ministerium; and Bill Long, co-chairman of the building campaign. The presentation took place at College Misericordia. By SANDY PEOPLES Post Correspondent TRUCKSVILLE - From one bank to another. The local food bank has re- ceived a $20,000 donation from the charitable arm of one of the region's newest financial institutions. Since its creation in April 1998, the First Federal Charitable Foundation has contributed more than $1 million to organizations which help those in need throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. The Back Moun- tain Ministerium Food Pantry is one of the latest benefactors of the generosity of this locally sponsored charitable foundation. On December 4, E. Lee Beard, Presi- dent and CEO of First Federal Bank, presented a check for $20,000 to Pastor Charles Naugle, leader of the Back Mountain Ministerium. He is the pastor of the Trucksville United Methodist Church, and manages the food pantry housed off-site in the basement of a ~nearby building. The pantry has been managed by the Trucksville church for See DONATION, pg 8 16 Pages, 2 Sections Calendar Classified Crossword CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dallaspost@Ileader.net Please enclose this label with any address changes, and mail to The Dallas Post P.O. Box 366, Dallas, PA 18612-0366
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