Standard-Speaker from Hazleton, Pennsylvania • 21

GVil Defense eyes former Pioneer Firehouse EjBOSSALTTU recalled. According to the WUkes-Barre paper, a let-bed portable hospital. Including aa X-ray table and a water storage tank, are stored hi the city Industrial building an East Diamond Avenue, while another portion of the packaged hospital It located to the basement of the Baxietoa Area School District administrttioa building oa South Church Street A portable water pump it stored hi the former state police garage on West Spruce Street, near city hall, while a portable electric generator It kept to a small room la the eity hall basement Access to the room must be made through a private office occupied by Operation Overcome. Haxleton Rescue Squad, a volunteer arm of Civil Defense, maintains two vehicles, one of them stored fat the Industrial building and the other in the new Pioneer ftrehouse. would cover the amity bills.

Civil Defense does tot have that kind of mooty, Bove said, but a possibility exisu that by October funding might become available tar the agency. According to the councilman, sometime between Oct 1 and IS the uncertainties should begii to resolve themselves and the city will be in a better position to male a decision. If the building cannot be sold, renting to Drll Defense could be the best solution to the problem, Bove said. The local government would be relieved of the burden of utility costs, be noted, while at the same time It would provide a service to a vital community organisation. la the meantime, the council rave tentative permission to Civil Defense on Monday to use the former Qrehouse to repair the organlza-tioa's vehicles.

That decision, however, will not be made final until consultations are held with Cflunrtlmaa Richard Manfredl, cnrnmiwtfta-er of parks and buildings. Only Bove, Councilmaa Joseph Ferdinand and Mayor James Paisley attended Monday's caucus. Manfredl and Councilmaa Michael DeCosmo were absent John Segaria, the city's director of Ctvfl Defense, wss quoted In a WUkes-Barre newspaper ever the weekend as saying the organisation needs to consolidate all of Its equipment, vehicles and activities la a single location. Segaria wu quoted as saying that Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which administers CtwQ Defense activities the Commonwealth, has cited him on several occasions tor placing emergency materials multiple locations. Segaria explained that the equipment It owned by the state and It lent to toe local Oil Defense.

It not handled properly, tt could be the property Is Ested wfch local realtor. According to CouncCaaa Joseph Eere, the city currency has a prospect who Is interested in purcnasir )ust the social raoms seettoa oftbebuiUg. Bore, head of the council's new Democratic majority, said the matter of Civil Defease use of the building is complicated by a number of fiscal consideratoas, which were explained to Civil Defense at Monday's caucus. The city budget projects about $77,001 income from sale of the property. The anticipated revenue would have to be made up elsewhere If the tattdlof Is sot told.

On the other hand, the structure must be heated in the winter months. Bove said utility costs average about $700 per month. If the building not sold by October, the city obviously would be Interested to renting the premises tor an amount which at least Hukt Ciril Defense would Uke to use the former Pioneer Ftrebouse oe North Wyotnicg Street to eentnttie the igtncy'i materials and equipment, which currently is stored it various locations throughout the city. A request to consolidate la the farmer firehouse was presented to Hsxtetoa City Council during caucus in city hall Monday night No binding decisions were reached, but the council reportedly left open the possibility taat arrangements might be made if the belMing Is not sold by October. The building has beea vacant since the Pioneer Fire Co.

moved to new quarters in the municipal parking garage at Chestnut and Laurel streets about two years ago. Since then the city has been attempting unsuccessfully to sell the old Qrehouse, and f) 10 new buses may be handicapped-equipped i ILriM Ll Jt 4 1 among the handicapped of the area. Mertx also disagreed with those present in particular John Baran, operator of Baran Transit who felt that local bus schedules would not be met because of the extra time required for bus drivers to help the handicapped board and de-board. He responded by noting that results of a study undertaken at George Washington University some time ago showed that once both the handicapped and the bus drivers get used to the procedure of boarding and deboardtng, It presents no major problem and no significant delays. "That particular study showed that there was no discrepancy In the buses' schedules," he said, further noting that it bad been conducted over one of the most difficult of a big city 's routes.

"I think it's only right that we do the lob right" he said. "It could save a lot of problems later on. I'd hate to come back here five years from now and say, 'I told you Atty. Thomas Carlyon, the board's solicitor, proposed a possible solution to Mertz' earlier concern that having only half the new fleet equipped with the special equipment would mean that the disabled might have long waits until a suitable bus comes along on which they can He suggested Mertz and other officials of organizations for the handicapped in this area could sit down with the bus operators and representatives of the HTA and prepare a schedule of when those buses would be running. He further noted that once this schedule has been determined, It should be widely circulated Area be wis for area drivers to keep their sunglasses handy, since the summer season is not yet over (Photo by Dan Chyko) NOT SO BRIGHT LIGHT Driving west on West Broad Street into the setting sun is usually a blinding experience for motorists, but last week the ordeal was lessened as hazy clouds diffused Old Sol's rays.

However, it would schuyiuM Standard-Speaker EDNESDAV, AUGUST II, 1111 Page 21 ETA cancels fleet insurance contract By ED CONRAD A possibility exists that all 10 new buses scheduled for delivery to the Ha-ileton Transit Authority within the next year will be equipped to accommodate the handicapped. Five of the buses presently on order through the Luzerne County Transit Authority will be equipped with a wheelchair lift, enabling mobility impaired persons to board and deboard more easily. However, the HTA last night agreed to weigh the merits of having all 10 buses so equipped, and has referred the matter back to its advisory committee for further study. The board was reacting to a suggestion by Albert Mertz, an official of Operation Overcome of the Anthracite Region, who said he firmly believes that the handicapped of the Greater Hazleton area would be much better served if all the new buses were equipped to accommodate them. Mertz, who himself uses a wheelchair, said be doesn't believe area residents whose mobility Is impaired could be serviced properly if only five or 50 percent of the new buses were equipped, because not all 10 would be available to them as a means of transportation.

He asked members of the board how they would feel as employers if he were an employee of the authority and came to work an hour or two late every morning simply because the buses which passed his residence weren't properly equipped to handle a wheelchair. Then, when he received no reply, he mentioned how awful he personally would feel if he had to sit around for an hour or two every evening waiting tor "the right bus" to come along to take him home. Mertz said a recent national survey had revealed that approximately 40 percent of persons in nursing homes are only there because of the lack of community services in providing transportation to the handicapped. "There should be no reason why an individual In this area can't get around in the community," he said. "I think buses which are accessible to the handicapped would give more people the incentive to get to the corner" to catch a bus they know they 'll be able to take.

He said the lack of buses to accommodate mobility-impaired persons in the Greater Hazleton area in the past has greatly contributed to keeping these persons confined. And although having five of 10 buses so equipped would be a giant step in the right direction, he said, the opportunity of equipping all 10 should not be passed up. It was pointed out by executive director James DeLorenzo that the additional cost of equipping each bus with a wheelchair lift runs between $7,000 to $12,000. "I wouldn't say it's Impossible (to have all 10 buses equipped)," said chairman John Ford. "But you must remember you're increasing the cost of the fleet, and you're also increasing the cost of the matching funds (which the authority would nave to cover) Mertx felt it would be much more inexpensive in the long run to place an order for 10 buses containing the special equipment than to pay even more to have them Installed after the buses have gone Into service.

June 30, 1982, and the plan was the subject of a public hearing prior to the start of the regularly scheduled meeting last night. The board also: Received a surprise resignation from Joseph N. Spanial, CPA, who had been serving as the board's Independent auditor. His duty was to make spot checks of revenue-control once every three months, since the state requires that it be done by an outside source Spaniel, who was appointed Feb. 10, Informed the board that he was forced to resign "due to extenuating circumstances." Appointed James DeLorenzo, who had been serving a probationary period as an official of the authority, as its permanent operations manager.

Entered into an agreement with the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce to have members of the chamber perform public relations and related work for the authority at a cost of $1,500 per year. ends still have to be tied, be has informed the authority that bis company would be In full compliance with all details of the contract by the end of the week. As Carlyon explained earlier, according to the terms of the agreement, Baran would be forced to comply with all aspects of the agreement, or the HTA would consider his agreement null and void. Ford appointed Jack Rogers as chairman of the HTA's contingency plan which, according to Ford, is designed to provide transportation in this area in the event of an emergency. Rogers will select various members of the authority to sit on his committee.

In other news, the board approved a plan for obtaining federal operating assistance. According to its financial summary, the total project expenditure Is $610,635, the total project revenue Is $146,000 and the total project deficit Is $464,635. The federal grant request Is $232,318, the state grant request is $88,211, the local grant committed is $44,106 and the senior citizens grant is $100,000. The project period dates from July 1 to the policy be cancelled) came as a surprise to me." Members of the HTA, who also were shocked upon hearing Tobin's comments a month ago, were unable to shed more light on the situation. Several did say, however, that it was unfortunate that such unwarranted criticism got such wide coverage.

They also wondered why, If the cancellation notice had been placed in the mail as Tobin insisted it bad been, it never arrived. Meanwhile, the HTA accepted and approved a new purchase-of-service agreement with each of Its three operators contingent upon the fact that all three operators Herman Dotter of Hazleton Area Transit (formerly Motor Transportation), George (Buddy) Yencho of Valley Transit and John Baran of Baran Transit Lines comply with the provisions of the contract each of them had signed. At last month's meeting it was revealed that Baran had been sent formal notification that he must conform to HTA policy and operational procedures or his contract with the authority would not be renewed. However, Ford said last night that Baran has promised to conform to the HTA directive and, although some loose By ED CONRAD The Hazleton Transit Authority last night cancelled its contract with the Casualty Transit Insurance Co. for fleet coverage of the buses under its Jurisdiction.

A month ago, a representative for Paul Arnold Associates informed the board that Casualty Transit bad decided to terminate its contract with the HTA because it felt the buses hadn't been re: ceiving proper maintenance. At that time Richard Tobin of Paul Arnold Associates said that a safety Inspector Earl R. Slacum of Baltimore bad informed the company that he "got a very unfavorable feeling" concerning the safety of the buses while conducting his unannounced Inspection May 28. Tobin further stated that Slacum observed that "the maintenance of equipment was not up to par of other transit authorities," that bis inspection "turned up negative," and that he didn't care for "the attitude of the people involved." The HTA was thus informed that Transit Casualty the Insurer of all buses operated by the three companies with which the authority has a purchase-of-service agreement had received a recommendation that the fleet contract be cancelled, and that such a directive had already been put In the mall informing the HTA that the policy would be terminated after IS days of receipt of such a letter. Chairman John Ford said last night that no such cancellation notice bad been received by the authority, and the board's action to cancel the policy on its own Is due to Its decision to have each bus operator carry suitable insurance on its own.

"That (cancellation notice) was not carried through," said Ford. "We were never cancelled. Now, however, we're cancelling the policy ourselves. The operators will now be responsible for their own Insurance coverage." Atty. Thomas Carlyon, the board's solicitor, added that the HTA "never received (official) notice that the policy was being cancelled" and took strong exception to the negative coverage Tobin's remarks received in the media.

Slacum, when contacted a few days after the meeting, said he was "shocked" to learn of the statements which were allegedly attributed to him by Tobin. He denied them and commented: "This whole thing (his reported suggestion that Young hunter courses slated The state Game Commission has scheduled hunter education courses, which are mandatory for all persons under 16 years of age who will be purchasing their first hunting license. Anyone 11 years of age and older can attend and be certified. The West Hazleton and Mountaintop courses are one day and necessitate the students bringing lunch. The Sugarloaf course is a two-part evening course.

The schedule is as follows: Aug. 29-9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., in the West Hazleton Borough Annex. Sept. 10 Sugarloaf Municipal Building, 8 and 9 p.m.

Sept. 26 Wright Township Municipal Mountaintop, 9 a.m. and 3:30 pm. District Game Protector Robert W. Nolf of Conyngham will be in charge.

TYROLEAN ROOM 20 North Laurel Downtown Hazleton Today's Luncheon Special POT ROAST $025 OF BEEF With Potato Pancakes Vegetable D'Jour Join Us for Our Special DAILY LUNCHEON SALAD BAR Only 75c with soup and sandwich Or $1.95 for Salad Bar alone DEADLINE EXTENDED The cutoff date for reservations for the Hazleton High School Class of 1946 35th reunion has been extended to August 28, reunion committee chairman Pat Capece urged all members who wish to attend the reunion, scheduled for September 6 at Lobltz Hall, to make their reservations by the cutoff date. COMMISSIONED William J. Palfey, son of Mr. and Mrs. William J.

Palfey, 13 Old Forest Road, Conyngham, has been commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army upon completion of advanced ROTC training at Fort Bragg, N.C. Palfey was a student at Pennsylvania State TONIGHT'S DINNER SPECIALS Served from 4-0 PM Incl. Dot. Firm granted permit I for boro radio station 1 s3.45 U.fJ mdveg.

Our Seachesf Baked Fillet of HADDOCK Lemon Butter Sauce Frted Golden Brown OCEAN PERCH WHh tartar sauce Coaldale pian faces charges in fatal crash Tamaqua police have filed four charges against Nicholas Teno 19, of 240 W. Ridge Coaldale, In connection with the Aug. I highway death of Mrs. Catherine Marie Vitate, 38, of 103 Hunter Tamaqua. Police said a summons will be Issued through the office of District Magistrate D.

Michael Stine charging Teno with homicide by vehicle, Involuntary manslaughter, failure to drive on the right side of a highway and meeting of vehicles. Teno will be ordered to appear before Stine for arraignment on the charges, at which time a preliminary hearing will be scheduled. Mrs. Vltale, alone In her car, was traveling south on Route 309 toward Tamaqua after leaving work as a waitress at her brother-in-law's restaurant in Hometown. Police said ber car was struck bead-on by Teno't northbound pickup truck at the base of the hill between Tamaqua and Hometown, near the Taggertsvllle Intersection, after the truck crossed Into ber lane of traffic.

Mrs. Vltale was pronounced dead at the scene by John O'Brien, deputy coroner tor Schuylkill County. Teno and a passenger In his truck, Sharon Munday, 16, of SS W. Ludlow Summit Hill, were seriously Injured to the crash, and admitted to Coaldale State General Hospital. Teno was discharged from the hospital Aug.

6, and Miss Munday oa Aug. 14. for The Landlubber. ROAST CAPON Today's events Hazleton Rotary Club, Stan Genetti's Empire Room, 12: 15 p.m. TOPS, Chapter 837, West Hazleton Borough Building, 6:30 p.m.

Hazleton City Authority. 230-240 S. Wyoming 7 p.m. West Hazleton Senior Citizens, borough annex, 7 p.m. Overeaten Anonymous, city hall, 7 p.m.

Conyngham Borough Council, borough building, 7:30 p.m. Freeland Authority, authority building, 7:30 p.m. Tamaqua Class of 1941, reunion meeting, Gus Genetti's Room, 8 p.m. St John's PMCC Christian Ladles Society, church social hall, 7 p.m. McAdoo Vending Ladles' Bowling League, Lucia's Cafe, 7 p.m.

THE KEY wMi homcMyW ruffing and brown gravy TO VOUR FUTURE. Rout Stood BRISKET OF BEEF 1 with pon gravy 1 Stan Genetti have also applied tor licenses to operate low-powered TV stations, Including Channel 14 In Hazleton and Channel 67 In WUkes-Barre. It is anticipated the radio station will create 10 to IS new Jobs. "Call letters and programing plans are Incomplete at this time," Rodlno said. "While continuing with the operation of WQEQ, I will conduct a survey to determine the needs of the general public In West Hazleton and the Greater Hazleton area.

Our programming will then attempt to fulfill those needs. "The Federal Communications Commission allows one year from the date of the permit to begin operations. The permit was Issued on Aug. 11 and we are confident we will hit the airwaves much sooner than the allowable one year." Radio Action Co. of Hazleton has been granted a permit to construct and operate an AM radio station In West Hazleton.

The new station, found at 1300 on the AM dial, will have its main studio and offices in the borough, said Nell Rodlno, general manager and vice president of WQEQ-FM 103 and a top official with Radio Action. The former WTHT and WHZN operated at 1300, but the frequency has been vacant since the early 1960s. Edward and Richard Genettl are the principal stockholders In Radio Action the license-holder for the new station. The Genettit will continue to own and operate WQEQ-FM, as they have since August 1979. Toe two Hazleton businessmen May Be Talking With Us HAZLETON INSURANCE CENTER, INC.

CANDLELIGHT DINNER THEATRE 20 N. laurel Downtown Hazteton Proudly Prntnts Tony Award Winning Musical Comedy "THE MUSIC MAN" Fridays Sept 18 2) Saturdays Sept 19, 26, Oct 3, 10 17 Sundays Sept 20 Oct 4 SUNDAY FAMILY MATINEE OCT. 11 (SpocU Chfdrwi's Prices) Phone 455-6389 for Reservations 1 1 rrUE, RESCUE GROUP TO MEET The Luierne County Fire and Rescue Training Association will bold IU monthly meeting Thursday at 7: 30 p.m. at the Bear Creek Township flrehouae. The fire committee qU meet at 7 p.m..