The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, January 10, 2002 Tire dumps (continued from page 1) half.” : Jackson Township residents and supervisors are growing weary of inaction by DEP. “In this part of the state, DEP isn’t doing anything,” said Ed Ches- novitch. “The hardest thing our local DEP does is go to work in the morning.” The board is asking DEP to enforce fines or other suitable retribution. “Otherwise, what's going to stop them after we clean it up from getting another 4,000 in? Then we'll clean it up again?” asked Malak. “I don’t think anybody in Jackson ‘Township should pay for anybody else's gain,” Super- visor Al Fox said. “We're not go- ing to do it that way.” Malak said while he has dis- cussed possible legal procedures the township can take with the supervisors, the time for it is premature. Fox agreed. “We need to ad- dress this step by step. Let them tell us what they are going to do and what they are not going to do,” he said. “We haven't gotten to that point yet.” Tire dumps and junk sites have become an unfortunate and too frequent problem of late in the township. Last month, John Filip filed a complaint with the township zoning officer, to be forwarded to the DEP, con- cerning 50 to 100 tires illegally dumped on the southwest cor- ner of his property. In 2000, neighbors complained about the number of vehicles and tires on the property of Raymond Malak, Chase Road. He received notifi- cation of a number of zoning or- dinances he violated. Raymond Malak filed a land use appeal to the township zoning board in July 2000 and lost. Then he filed an appeal to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, and lost an October 23 ruling by Judge Peter Paul Olszewski. In other business: ¢ In an ongoing effort to up- date local ordinances, the board of supervisors authorized the so- licitor to start procedures for amending the zoning ordinance to include cell phone towers and to review and submit an adult entertainment ordinance. “These are legal issues that have aes “You can’t lose! Bump up the rate or withdraw when you need to.” E. Lee Beard, President & CEO been overlooked for years.” Malak said. “We are trying to be pro-active rather than reactive.” In addition, the board passed PA Act 45 of 2000, the first statewide building code, the In- ternational Building Code, mak- ing Jackson Township one of the first to conform. The new uni- form building code will become mandatory for all Pennsylvania municipalities in the spring. e In the police report, Chief Jerry Leedock reported a quiet month and held the unseason- ably warm weather accountable for the calm..Fox said bullet- proof vests had arrived last week for every officer and wearing them would be mandatory. Chief ‘Leedock has been watching traffic at the Huntsville intersection between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m., doing a count of the number of cars passing through the one-way intersec- tion at Sutton Road. “We want to correct that hazard,” said Fox of the dangerous intersection. Leedock reported a whopping 430 cars passed through in the half hour. The gathered data will be sent on to PennDOT. e Supervisor John Wilkes con- gratulated Chief Leedock on his assist at Harveys Lake in the ap- prehension of an armed felon and on the smooth and com- plaint-free handling by the chief and his staff of the recent winter snowstorm. Wilkes wished to remind all Jackson township residents of the snow and ice ordinance pro- hibiting shoveling snow into the streets and parking on the street. He went on to say heavy equipment would be in use to widen streets and would be go- ing on until at least next Tues- day to allow for safer travel on township roads. “We're not do- ing this just to block your drive- ways,” he added. “But to allow you more lane to travel and safer travel for the motoring public.” e A reorganization meeting was held before the regular meeting. District Justice James Tupper swore in Fox and Wilkes. Barbara Bazil, Kathleen Lonon, and Sharon: Link, Shellene Bruno, who resigned effective Jan. 1, will be the audi- tors. Introducing the Our You're In Control CD™ puts you in control of your savings two ways. First: Should interest rates rise on our regular 4 CD's, don’t worry! You bave a one-time option to bump up the rate on your You're In Control CD to the new rate for your remaining term?*. Second: If you suddenly need money for an unexpected event, don’t worry! you can withdraw up to one half of the money in your You're In Control CD penalty free as long as you maintain the minimum balance requirement! The You're In Control CD is a great way to take advantage of market upswing, while protecting your money should interest rates go down. Ask about our You're In Control CD this week. It's just another way we have of showing you that you really can expect a difference at First Federal Bank. THE YOU'RE IN CONTROL C Online Bill ~ Payment Service is now available at $4.95 per month ~~ logonto Internet Banking, _ dick Bill Payment R apply online today! Member FDIC *Rate ing Yield (APY) shown effective date of publication and subject to minimum balance requirement. Rates subject to change. Offer may be withdrawn without notice. A penalty will be imposed should any withdrawal place the CD's balance below the minimum of $35,000. €ase is not retroactive or automatic, E Mail: fed 1@ Istfederalbank .com replacing - ww, (Owe FIRST FEDERAL BANK HAZLETON o POTTSVILLE » FRACKVILLE » SHENANDOAH eo BRODHEADSVILLE « CONYNGHAM DRUMS » FREELAND * WEATHERLY » MOUNTAINTOP SCOTT TOWNSHIP * BLOOMSBURG ® DANVILLE o LEHIGHTON ¢ SHAVERTOWN Istfederalbank.com ¢ 800-582-6307 = Acca ount z holder must request the | increase. “wrAnnual Percentage POST PHOTO/TIMOTHY J. RAUB Back Mountain Youth Soccer already uses some of the fields at the proposed regional recreation cen- ter for practice. Rec complex (continued from page 1) graphical studies, so we can get started with the construc- tion.” The proposed facility, located in Lehman Township along Out- let and Firehouse roads, will in- clude five little league baseball and softball fields, providing a new home for Back Mountain Baseball, a Back Mountain Youth Soccer complex with play- ing and practice fields, a picnic area, wetland conservation area, hiking trails, an outdoor ice skating/hockey rink and an in- door recreation center. “We have received financial commitment from most of the municipalities involved,” said Sutton. “Back Mountain Youth Soccer and Back Mountain Baseball have also lent their support, and are anxious to help.” Back Mountain Baseball Asso- ciation president Jack Snyder likes the idea of Back Mountain Baseball having a new place to -year Equal He SING Lender call home in Lehman Township, and believes that the Back Mountain area is overdue for a large central recreation area. “We are looking into going (to the Back Mountain Recreation Center),” said Snyder. “There is a need for a new recreation facil- ity, because it seems that (all athletic leagues) are cramped for space.” But the move will not take place for some time, since con- struction of the fields has not even begun, and time must be given for the grass fields to grow. The project has been broken down into three phases, with the beginning of Phase II coming in the spring. The beginning of Phase III, the construction of the indoor facility, is something Sut- ton says will be looked at after the outdoor facilities are fin- ished. “To complete the entire facility, both indoor and outdoor, it will cost $12-14 million,” said Sut- ton. “We have not even begun to explore funding for the indoor facility, but we definitely don’t want to affect the taxing of resi- dents of the Back Mountain. That has been our goal from the beginning. We don’t want to go to the municipalities and ask for tax dollars.” ‘The facility will serve residents in eight townships - Dallas, Kingston, Franklin, Lehman, Noxen, Jackson and Ross - and two boroughs, Harveys Lake and Dallas. The project received a huge ‘boost from the state in June with a $500,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The grant provided the majority of the funding needed to purchase the 130-acre property. “We do not see any major ob- stacles in the construction of this facility,” said Sutton. “It is all going to come down to the money.” Regional police (continued from page 1) ship resume discussions on Ig issue. “From the borough’s point of view, the only thing stopping the process right now is that Dallas Township is bogged down in ar- bitration,” said Moskovitz. “I am convinced though, that once the arbitration is resolved we will once again undertake the re- gionalization issue.” Plans to regionalize the forces began to take shape in Julg when officials from both munic palities met with members of the - Governor's Center for Local Gov- ernment Services. There they discussed a feasibility study out- lining a regional police force for the two municipalities. Regionalizing the police de- partments will mean constant 24-hour police coverage for both municipalities, as well as moi officers on duty at any given time. As separate departments, Dallas Township has numerous officers on duty around the clock, while Dallas Borough had only one officer on duty at times. “This is something that should provide both municipalities with more opportunities te serve the communities more professional- ly, and more equipped,” said Moskovitz. y, Moskovitz said that by region-= alizing the departments, not only will residents be better served, there will also be the opportuni- ty for the new department to add detectives and sergeants, who will oversee the operations of each shift. “Right now, the borough only has one officer on duty at somg times of the day,” sai Moskovitz. “But with a regional- ized force, sergeants will oversee the operations.” Some major details still must be worked out before the two municipalities unite forces, though. With the considerably larger police force, must come a new police station that could house more officers. Efforts to regionalize othe municipal services have be ® successful. “The Dallas Area Municipal Authority has been very suc- cessful at an affordable cost to residents,” said Moskovitz. “This is the direction that many local governments are moving.” STH-6TH (GRADE ~ SCHOLARSHIP Exam e computerized library *9 competitive sports e field trips e guest authors grade 3 *new hands-on science lab - *jazz band, chorus «foreign languages from e state-of-the-art auditorium (OF: 1] Bll BETTY EU .-at Sem qualify ® Exam date: Saturday, January 19, 2002 Registration 8:30 a.m.; exam 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. e Up to five $2500 scholarships ® 4th- and Sth-grade students not currently enrolled Need-based financial aid available beyond award Parents: stay for information session and refreshments 8 og WYOMING SEMINARY . founded 1844 LoweER SCHOOL 1560 WYOMING AVENUE ForTY FORT Sutlil ’ RessS SINNER . lL il Bacx MOUNTAIN URNITUR JANUARY | ‘Clearance E: ® Route 118, Dallas * 674- 7858 (In the Former Little Lumber Building) Mon., Tues., Wed. 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Thurs., Fri. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m; Sat. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Sunday
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers