Sunday, March 6, 2011 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 DALLAS TOWNSHIP Residents air defer concerns By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The Dallas Township Board of Supervisors didn’t have an agenda at its meeting Tuesday evening, which allowed for citi- zens to control much of the board’s discussion. Residents steered comments toward the recent amended ap- plication submitted last week by Chief Gathering LLC to build a metering station near the Dallas School District cam- pus. Resident and Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition member Liz Martin asked the board if an alternate zoning hearing board member can be chosen for the upcoming hearing on March 14. At a Feb. 9 hearing for Chief’s now-defunct plan to build a compressor station near the schools, zoning board member Conrad Higgins re- cused himself from the pro- ceedings as he had signed a right-of-way agreement with or prior to the sub- of the application. In accordance with the state ethics commission, Higgins could not actively participate in the hearing but could offer a tie-breaking vote should one be needed by the three-person board. Residents submitted a letter to the supervisors at their last meeting requesting a replace- ment for Higgins, specifically Supervisor Frank Wagner, to be appointed for the hearing. At Tuesday’s meeting, Mar- tin asked if the residents’ re- quest still had merit for the up- - coming hearing. 11 Solicitor Thomas Brennan gave the audience long and short answers, both of which were “No.” Brennan said not only do the supervisors not have any pow- er to appoint an alternate member to the zoning hearing board, but even if there was an alternate, that person could not sit in on the proceedings unless there was a vacancy. He said under the law, a recusal does not equate a vacancy. “There has to be a situation if there’s not a quorum,” he said. “This would apply even if we had an alternate.” [WE explained that the super- The next meeting of the board of supervisors will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 15 at the municipal building. visors are like the legislative branch of a government, and the zoning board is much like the judicial branch. Neither can make demands on the an- other, and the only time an al- ternate can be appointed by the board of supervisors is at its annual reorganization meet- ing in January. Brennan also said elected of- ficials cannot be appointed to the zoning board as members or alternate members. Resident and GDAC mem- ber Al Rodriguez expressed concerns about Higgins’ possi- ble bias towards the oil and gas company. Brennan responded by say- ing appointed officials get no compensation for their work and they have taken an oath to abide by the law. “We take the steps I think the law requires of us,” he said. In other news... e Resident and GDAC mem- ber Diane Dreier asked Zoning Officer Leonard Kozick if Wil- liams Gas Co. has applied for special exceptions to build its own metering station not much farther away from the Dallas schools than the Chief facility. Kozick said he hadn’t heard anything, but told her “they’re coming.” e Resident Bill Zakosky asked the board about the sta- tus of a complaint he had filed in October 2010 regarding a .neighbor’s horses polluting his property. Kozick told Zakosky the neighbor had been issued a fine by the local magistrate, but Zakosky said he had been told no action was taken. Brennan told Zakosky to of- fer him any further informa- tion on the case before pro- ceeding with personal legal ac- tions. . The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. March 14 in the Dallas Township municipal building for Chief Gathering LLC's ap- plication to build a metering station near the Dallas schools. RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY LATE-NIGHT FIRE CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Two people are displaced after a fire broke out at 112 Lehman Ave. in Dallas Tuesday night. Dallas Fire Chief Harry Vivian said firefighters responded to the blaze at 10:26 p.m. and were able to control the fire within 15 minutes. A man was pulled from the burning structure, while a woman escaped before crews arrived at the scene. Vivian said the house is owned by Ellen Wildes and public records show Edward Wildes also lived at the residence. The fire, which started on the second floor, was ruled accidental in relation to smoking. The second floor received smoke, heat and water damage, and the first floor received water damage. He said the damage could be repaired. The victims were taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Vivian could not comment on their conditions. A spokesperson from the American Red Cross said the two were released from the hospital by Wednesday and are being provided with food, clothing and shelter. Shavertown, Kunkle and Lehman Township firefighters also responded. Rossetti Art Exhibit opens today at LCCC Joe and Sue Hand sponsor 30th annual memorial juried art exhibit. The 30th Annual Suzanne Maria Rossetti Memorial Ju- ried Art Exhibit will open at 1 p.m. today, March 6 at the Schulman Gallery on the campus of Luzerne: County Community College in Nanti- coke. The public is invited to the art exhibit as well as the awards ceremony which fol- lows at 4 p.m. in the James T. Atherton Gymnasium. Joe and Sue Hand of Dallas have sponsored the Suzanne Maria Rossetti Memorial Ju- ried Art Contest for the past 30 years in memory of the daughter of Louise and the late Peter Rossetti of Saugus, MA. Artworks in pencil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic, oil, ink, scratchboard, mixed media, fibers, photography, prints, miniature drawings and paint- ings, 3-D and applied design were created by seventh through 12th-grade students associated with the geograph- ic areas of Dallas, Lake- Leh- man, Tunkhannock and Northwest. Entries were judged sepa- rately on each grade level in 12 different categories by two panels of three judges each. In addition, a separate awards jury awarded over $7,000 in community-sponsored awards. The public is invited to view this exhibit of winning art works during today’s opening reception or from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 14 through Wednesday, April 6 at the Schulman Gallery. For additional information, contact Heather Madeira at 675-5094. Schulman Gallery Director Kelly Olszyk and Sue Hand, Rossetti contest sponsor, prepare for the opening reception of the 30th Annual Suzanne Rossetti Art Contest Exhibit for grades 7-12 to be held today, March 6. HARPIN' ON THINGS Going ‘up the mall’ with the Mrs. not as much he first mistake was trying Th prove to the Mrs. that chivalry is not dead by agreeing to meet at a clothing store “up the mall” to provide moral support in her search for a dress for her niece’s upcoming wedding. The second mistake was actually showing up. Driving through the rock cut on the Cross Val- ley, I was star- ing at the cell phone on the dash willing it to ring. Where was that last second call from a friend with a broken down car who needed a tow? Just before passing the Luzerne exit, hoped it wouldn’t ring because you're not stipposed to talk on a cell ne while driving on that HEFFERNAN ee quarter mile stretch of highway towards Kingston, you know. Yeah. Like people obey that one. I have been forced onto the shoulder by more swerving mini vans with soccer ball decals on the back window and the driver (both genders) yelling into a cell phone than George Kennedy forced hard-boiled eggs into Paul Newman’s mouth in “Cool Hand Luke.” forecast but the weatherman did would be great if...What if this say a big storm was approaching one had...What do you think of the west coast. If the Mrs. and I were still living in the Keys, that one might have worked because, during hurricane season, three out of four tropical storms com- ing off the coast of Africa some 5000 plus miles away were fore- cast to directly hit Miami. The projected path, that shaded, curved area 500 miles wide and this one?” I was jerked from my day- dream of strangling the designer who came up with such awful patterns and, without thinking, said, “It looks like the draperies hanging in Genetti’s.” Wrong. Normally, I act like Caesar and just give thumbs up or down and keep my mouth shut. That would commonly called “The Cone of have been a better decision. Death” down south, was good for getting out of most unwanted things. Arriving at the appointed loca- tion and sauntering towards the entrance while holding out hope that the sweet tone of “Rescue Me” would flow from the cell phone, the door flew open as a gaggle of shoppers flew by and... I was committed. Dallying in the lingerie section conveniently located near the en- trance (I'm sure this is the one where most husbands tell their wives they will be waiting) I spied the Mrs. giving me the “eye” then raising her hand and, with a flick of the wrist, giving me the signal to come forth. We me in tow, she quickly made a lap of the dress area be- fore settling into her shopping pace. Perusing each rack with the fine eye of a jeweler selecting diamonds, I heard the com- ments. There was no hurricane in the ~~ “This is perfect but...This As she entered the dressing room with several selections, I took up guard position against a dress rack with two fellow in- mates holding up the other side. We gave each other the head nod and eye roll, the common greet- ing ritual for males who are somewhere they don’t want to be. Not being one to stay quiet, I said to them, “You know, if the store would have a men’s waiting area within earshot of the dress- ing room doors with a couple La- zy Boys, a soda machine and a TV showing reruns of “Two and a Half Men,’ this might not be like shopping jail.” One guy said, “Throw in some manly magazines (Tools ‘R Us, Big Block Chevy Extravaganza, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edi- tion), we might stay a little long- er and the wives would buy more.” The other said, “Yeah, they need numbered dressing rooms fun as youd think Congressman Tom Marino visited the North Moreland Township Fire Company recently to speak to fire company members, focusing his talk on the younger members of the company and stressing the importance of an education and giving back to the community. From left, seated, are Jack Stephen- son, Jim Gilpin, Matt Krispin, Congressman Marino, Tim Nerozzi and Jacob DeRoberto. Standing, Zach Kosak, Marge Peters, Bob Smith, Clint Kyttle, Dave Wilbur, Zach Wilbur, Matt Stephenson, Trevor MacDougall, Jim Kyttle, Brian Stephenson and Chuck Story. and we need red and green lights ‘by the chairs like the ones in the planes I used to jump out of. When your wife is getting ready, it flashes red and when she comes out, it goes green.” Three guys together for eight minutes and we were in the fine tuning stages of how stores need to keep guys around longer when the muffled call, “Honey, what do you think?” came from behind us. Through years of training, three heads jerked to the right like they had been hooked by Jimmy Houston. The Mrs. is standing there in a very sexy blue dress with bright arranged to have Congressman Tom Marino visit the fire hall and speak to its members. Locals Hal Flack and Renita Fennick were also present as the con- gressman impressed upon the gathering the importance of edu- cation and giving back to the community. : pink socks. Since none of us was a member of the fashion place and don’t care one bit about matching, three thumbs went up immediately. Her face flushed red and she whirled around say- ing, “Tll try the next one on. Please stand a little closer to the door.” Atta boy of the week Goes to the members of the North Moreland Township Fire Company for their efforts to get younger members involved in the company. Last week Jim Gil- pin (president of the fire compa- ny) and Chuck Story (fire chief) Harp Heffernan was the asso- ciate publisher, outdoor editor and chief photographer of the Sunday Independent, a newspa- per that was in his family for 87 vears m Wilkes-Barre. You can e- mal him at news@muydallas- post.com
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers