Sunday, August 7, 2011 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 DALLAS TOWNSHIP Potential pipeline agreements are back in action By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com @ Township Solicitor Thomas Brennan announced Tuesday po- tential pipeline agreements with two natural gas companies are back in action. At the supervisors’ July 19 meet- ing, Brennan said negotiations with Williams Field Services LLC concerning land development and zoning approvals for the compa- ny’s 5-mile stretch of its 33-mile pipeline project were at an im- passe. He said the company questioned whether its project pertained to the township's subdivision and land development ordinance, but an- nouncing the stalemate seemed “premature from (Williams’) point of view.” Brennan said the company in- tends to “vigorously pursue subdi- vision and land development ap- proval.” The company has already begun to present plans to the township’s planning commission. The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the municipal building. In addition to continuing talks with Williams, Brennan said anoth- er company looking for a pipeline route in Dallas Township, Chief Gathering LLC, has also ap- proached him to consider some sort of agreement. - Resident Kim Jacobs ' asked Brennan whether he could con- vince the companies to move far- ther away from the schools to a dif- ferent tap-in site. “I'd do some soul-searching before I'd put a stop to this.” fovne Weaver Northmoreland Township resident Brennan responded he is limited to what he can negotiate with the companies. Both companies’ pipelines would flow gas from wells in Sus- quehanna County through Wyom- ing County to tap into the Transco interstate pipeline located near the Dallas School District campus. Metering station applications from both companies are currently pending in the township as well. A decision has yet to be made by the zoning hearing board on Chief’s ap- plication for special zoning excep- tions to build a metering station in an agricultural district. Williams has not yet requested a zoning hearing. Brennan said metering station construction will still require judg- ment from the zoning hearing board, but a potential agreement may dictate certain aspects of what can be located on site. The Wyoming County Planning Commission recently granted ap- proval for Williams to construct a metering station on 5 2 acres off Schoolhouse Road in Northmore- land Township, and a resident of the area addressed the board and Dallas Township residents. Wayne Weaver, of Northmore- land Township, said he felt like his property rights were being in- fringed on because companies who have made agreements to utilize his land for projects cannot contin- ue without receiving approval from the township. “I' have a pipeline, an access road and three gas leases, and the hold up apparently with the pipeline has been down here in Dallas,” he said. Weaver said existing metering stations in the area have never been cause for panic within the commu- The continued Chief zoning hear- ings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 22 and 30 in the Insalaco Hall at Misericordia University. nity, and drilling operations on family members’ farms haven't caused any problems, either. He said companies will actually help the area, including repaving roads on which companies’ trucks travel. Weaver said he just couldn’t un- derstand how a township could halt the projects of “multibillion- dollar corporations.” “Td do some soul-searching be- fore I'd put a stop to this,” said Weaver. AIDS patients are her main is nurse practitioner at Wright Center in Scranton. & It starts with a simple hand- shake. No judging, no criticiz- ing. A warm welcome and guaranteed smile for those who face a lifetime of stigma because of the disease they carry. | As the family nurse practi- tioner (FNP) at The Wright Center for Primary Care in Scranton, Ruth Neely ‘96, RSM, M.S.N., C.R.N.P,, is the face of hope for more than 400 HIV and AIDS patients. The facility is the only primary care center for HIV patients in a seven-county region of Northeastern Pennsylvania. With the help of a team of compassionate health care professionals, Sister Neely, who lives on Lake Street in Dallas, serves as the naviga- tor, seeing the patients through what must often seem like a maze of treat- ments, medicine, medical vic- tories and all-too-frequent set- backs. : Her leadership in serving the vulnerable and under- served has earned her a three- year appointment on the fennsylvania Governor’s Health Policy Board, an advi- sory group within the Depart- ment of Health charged with development of the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and making recom- mendations to the Secretary of Health to shape public pol- icy regarding the health of all Pennsylvanians. “The sad fact remains that although it is 30 years since HIV was identified there is still a terrible stigma attached to it,” she says. “Most people just don’t understand. In real- ity, there is no single face to it. My patients range from 19 to 76 — both women and men, some wearing business suits ... they could be your neigh- bor, your business partner, your best friend.” Sister Neely earned her master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner from Miser- icordia at the age of 51. This long-term care nurse felt there was a need in the community for the holistic approach to health care that being an FNP allows. @ Having previously served as coordinator and director of Health Services and director of nursing at Mercy Center Retirement Center on the campus of Misericordia Uni- versity, she has more than 40 years of experience with di- rect patient care. She knows the importance of having comprehensive services, in- cluding nutrition, mental health counseling and inter- nal medicine, under one roof concern Sister Ruth Neely ‘96, RSM, M.S.N., C.R.N.P,, who lives on Lake Street in Dallas, cares for more than 400 HIV and AIDS patients at the Wright Center for Primary Care in Scranton. in the primary care center. She. is tremendously proud of her team members and the work they do. In a paper she wrote for a Misericordia class in 1996, Sis- ter Neely stated, “It is crucial that nurses approach the eth- ical issue of lifestyle behavior choices proactively in order to support the position for nurs- ing that focuses on interde- pendence. The lack of clear policies on ethical issues pre- sents nurses with a unique po- sition to seize new opportuni- ties to shape and influence health care delivery on a local or national level.” The points she made, she says, are still true today. “Sisters of Mercy are known for responding to a need,” she adds. “That is what I did. HIV is no longer a death sentence, but a chronic disease that can be treated and managed. I have paved a path to help them through that journey by teaching them how to take care of themselves, and by teaching medical residents how to provide compassion- ate, holistic care to HIV pa- tients. It is exceptionally re- warding.” ; Her concern for patients comes in part from her own experiences. A breast cancer survivor, she knows too well the anguish of a catastrophic diagnosis. Yet, there is a defin- itive twinkle in her eye when she talks about the work she does, and more often than not, a dance in her step as she breaks into the finale from “Sister Act” or belts out a com- ic chorus of “My God,” sung to the tune of “My Guy.” A for- mer participant in a singing church group called “Chang- ing Habits,” Sister Neely spent years taking her enthu- siasm and singing talent on- the-road prior to her cancer diagnosis. She continues to generate smiles wherever she goes and brings a contagious love of liv- ing to her patients, whom she constantly encourages and ca- joles. They are guaranteed to find a safe refuge in her smile. BMT Wine Festival attracts hundreds undreds of people turned out to sample wines at the Third Annual Back Mountain Wine Festival on July 30 at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds. Sponsored by NEPA Wine Country, the festival featured several vintners from across the region who offered tast- ing menus filled with an extensive selection of white and red wines. i CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Crystal McCaffrey and Bill Sorber Jr., of Sweet Valley, slug down their samples of a Christmas wine at the Thid Annual Back Mountain Wine Festival July 30 at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds. Tammy Malloy, of Plains, isn't sure how she feels about the selection. rr bh Joyce and Jeff Pace, of Dallas Mountain Wine Festival. = ee l na , enjoy the Third Annual Back Outdoor [ J] Movies are ® @® a big hit ovie Night in the Park was held at the East Center Street Park in Kingston Township on July 30. The event was sponsored by the Kingston Township Board of Supervisors and the township’s recreation board provided popcorn. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Waiting for the movie to begin at Center Street Park in Kingston Township are, from left, Cailynn Hivish, Jordan Wilson and Alison Kraynack.
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