The Times-Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 15

IlMlpfNfilW l0p0ii0Ull0t)0 r-pr'Jn 000101101 jOCAL Ri B6 MAY 9, 1999 SCRANTON, PA She Stoics Scranton Police Called To Testify About Drug Use Subpoenas have been issued to at least seven officers to appear Wednesday before the grand jury for a case being developed by the state Attorney Generals Office. Steroids are drugs used to treat chronic debilitating diseases. They also are used by bodybuilders and athletes to increase strength and stamina. The substances are banned by the International Olympic Committee and other governing bodies in sports and their distribution is illegal for nontherapeutic use. At least some of the officers who have received subpoenas are bodybuilders.

The investigation into illegal drug use is one of three probes that center around members of the Scranton Police Department. One officer, Patrolman Robert Keiper, has been placed on an indefinite administrative leave with pay while state investigators continue to look into the reported theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from the Home Depot in Dickson City. Officer Keiper was placed on leave after Police Chief James Klee and other police officials met with Francis Noonan, regional director of the state Attorney Generals Drug Task Force, and William Fox, an agent attached to the state drug unit who reportedly is heading the probe. The task force has already presented evidence related to the theft to a statewide investigative grand jury. Officer Keiper is one of three men being investigated in connection with the thefts.

Statewide grand jury looking into steroid use subpoenas at least seven cops, including some bodybuilders. BY THOMAS K. STAFF THE SUNDAY TIMES A state grand jury in Harrisburg is expected to hear testimony this week about the alleged illegal use of anabolic steroids by city police officers. Also identified previously as alleged targets of the theft investigation are Dean Argenta, who has been given a leave of absence from his job as a Lackawanna County deputy sheriff, and Chris Mills, a local boxer. Chief Deputy Sheriff Dom Manetti said Mr.

Argenta was given a leave of absence after he received a subpoena to testify before the grand jury looking into the theft. Mr. Mills has admitted being asked some questions about the theft by investigators, but has denied any involvement. The theft and steroid use in vestigations are related. In the third case, the FBI met with police officials this week to discuss a review of alleged police brutality.

A rookie patrolman and a sergeant who has been on the force for 10 years are the center of the investigation The patrolman allegedly struck a handcuffed prisoner arrested for public drunkenness while the sergeant watched. Argenta Alleges Abuses 7 l' Its the Mother Of Sepportt Grouaps MOMS Gives Area Moms Time for Sanity rnIGa ti Ini' Were all in the same boat so we can share ideas and stories. Someones always going through something that someone else is about to. CHRISTINE MADDOCK Clarks Summit BY SHERI RODGERS BROWN THE SUNDAY TIMES Are you looking for advice on a baby issue and have no one to ask? Are you looking for something you and your child can do together? Or maybe youre just yearning for a conversation with someone other than your 2-year-old. If you can relate to any of these, the MOMS Club may be your answer.

The MOMS Club (Moms Offering Moms Support) is a support group for mothers who have made the decision to stay at home to raise their children. Other members include mothers who work part-time or from the home. The nonprofit organization, which has nearly 700 chapters with more than 000 members worldwide, gives mothers who stay home with their children all day a chance to meet with other mothers in the same situation and take their children along. Members meet monthly and hold activities, park play days, activity groups and a monthly moms night out. The meetings and activities are all held during the day and are for mothers and their children, Pamela Morgan, cofounder of the group, said.

Its a way for stay-home mothers to meet other mothers in similar situations and provide a little sanity to their day. After having a child at a young age, Mrs. Morgan was looking for people she could talk to since many of her friends were still in the club scene. She discovered the MOMS Club on the Internet and decided to start a chapter locally. Since its inception in August, Mrs.

Morgan has found the 12-member group very helpful. The group has helped me in countless ways through advice and support, she said. It also has brought Mrs. Morgan and her mother, Georgiann Burdett, closer together. Mrs.

Burdett is also a member of the club and brings her 3-year-old daughter, Breanna, to the activities. "Its hard to let go of that mothering instinct to take care of your child and make sure she doesnt make mistakes, but the club is something my mother and 1 can do together as friends, she said. I can now see her in a different way. Shes my best friend. Many members have made friendships through the club.

Its been really good for me to get together with other mothers that have children the same age, Teri Karboski of Scranton said. Not originally from the area, Christine Maddock of Clarks Summit is especially thankful for the people she has met. Were all in the same boat so we can share ideas and stories, she said. Someones always going through something that someone else is about to. Right now were all going through potty training.

A bonus to the organization is that the children are benefiting from the group activities also. By being around other children, they are learning social skills and are developing personal traits. Matti learned how to ride a bike from watching the other children, Mrs. Morgan said. Its great to see all the children playing together.

Its better than watching TV. Watching her son, Michael David, interact with the other children is Alisa Carters favorite part of the group. It teaches him to play with other kids and how to share, the Dickson City woman said. Hes such a good little sharer. The mothers are amazed at another trick the children have picked up.

Many of the kids, who are just learning to talk, can say each others names. Its really amazing that they can re-hiember each other already. I think they look forward to it too, Mrs. Carter said. Regular meetings are held the last Monday of every month in the Allied Services Community Room, Morgan Highway, and guest speakers are often featured.

To join the club or for more information, call Shannon Morgan at BY RAY FLANAGAN THE SUNDAY TIMES A Wilkes-Barre man, whose arrest on a felony charge later reduced to a summary offense -was chronicled by the media when he was led on a perp walk, is asking state authorities to investigate whether his rights were abused. Virgil Argenta Jr. has filed complaints with various state boards against state police, an as sistant district attorney and three magistrates connected with his arrest on Feb. 25 on a charge of threatening a public servant. Mr.

Argenta, who eventually pleaded guilty to summary harassment, now says he wants to fight the charge but cannot because paperwork has been lost. He particularly objects to the $280 paid by his attorney for the fines and costs imposed, contending he agreed to plead guilty only if no penalty was involved. My warrant of arrest was for a felony and one month later it is a non-traffic summons, he said. If this warrant was so strong and true, why did the DAs office drop it so fast? Assistant District Attorney Eugene Talerico said prosecutors agreed to the much lesser charge so that Mr. Argenta would be on record admitting a crime.

That evidence, Mr. Talerico said, will be used to bolster the prosecution of Mr. Argentas brother, John, on a rape charge. Mr. Talerico declirted to say how it can be used at a trial.

District Attorney Michael Bar-rasse said he is sure any investigation of Mr. Argentas complaint will show that authorities acted properly. This is a defendant who has already pleaded guilty crying afterwards about what happened, he said. A four-page narrative prepared by Mr. Argenta is particularly hard on Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Granahan, the person he allegedly threatened, and state police investigators who took part in his arrest.

I wont lose sleep over the i baseless comments of a defendant, Ms. Granahan said. The magistrates named are Martin Kane of Luzerne County, John E. V. Pieski of Dickson City and Robert Russell of South Scranton.

Mr. Kane and Mr. Pieski are faulted for the way bail was set after his arrest; Mr. Russell for his offices handling of the harassment citation. Mr.

Argenta said his arrest not only embarrassed him and stifled a potential political career in Luzerne County, but also forced him to spend $5,500 on his defense. He stressed the contrast between the high profile given to his arrest and the slap-on-the-wrist finish to his case. Mr. Argenta said he complained to the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court against Ms. Granahan, the Judicial Conduct Board against the magistrates and the state police Internal Affairs Division against troopers.

HIGH-PROFILE FAMILY Even before John Argentas arrest in February on rape and other charges, the Argenta fam- Please see ARGENTA, Page B16 Shannon Morgan lends her daughter, Matti, 17 months, a helping hand as she shoots down the slide at the South Abington Park, Chinchilla. At top, Terl Karboski and her daughter, Kira, 20 months, look at a dandelion. Merger of TV Stations Raises Antitrust Concerns the investigation), but I have not been contacted by anyone, said Perry Sook, Clarks Summit, president of Nexstar Broadcast Group, WBREs owner. He said there is no collusion between the advertising sales departments of the two stations. Local television stations earned $52.6 million last year, according to estimates by BIA Research, Chantilly, Va.

Television advertising is sold on an auction basis. There is no fixed price for a commercial. Mr. Sweeda said laws of sup BY RICH MATES THE SUNDAY TIMES The U.S. Department of Justice is looking to see if WBRE-TV (Ch.

28) and WYOU-TV (Ch. 22) -which merged their news, production and engineering departments under a first-in-the-nation "shared services agreement last year are improperly working together to sell advertising. People quizzed by the antitrust personnel see no collusion between the sales departments of the two TV broadcasters. Late last week, Department of Justices Antitrust Division investigators began phoning owners of local advertising agencies and at least one competitor to see how WBRE and WYOU sell commercial airtime. The probe was launched after WBREs and WYOUs owners filed papers seeking a similar shared services agreement in Wichita Falls, Texas, where both companies also own TV stations.

The Justice Department was unable Saturday to provide anyone who could comment. George Sweeda, president of Benchmark Advertising, Dickson City, said a Justice Department lawyer asked him whether Benchmarks clients had alternatives if WBRE and WYOU combined sales efforts. Jim Thomas, president of Thomas Communications, Clarks Summit, said he was interviewed by several Antitrust Division economists and a lawyer. They wanted to know if we could buy around them, if we needed to, Mr. Sweeda" said.

They were interested if I would be willing to pay more if (the stations) put the rates higher than where I was comfortable. Mr. Sweeda said he told the Justice Department that a merger of the stations' sales departments would give advertising buyers one less choice. WYOU, but sold it to Mr. Smith in late 1997 to acquire WBRE.

Federal law prohibits a company from owning more than one TV station in a market. When Nexstar bought WBRE and sold WYOU to Bastet, the deal included a shared-services agreement. Bastet pays WBRE to produce its newscasts, produce local programming and handle technical and engineering work. Each station has separate staffs for selling and scheduling advertising, accounting and choosing which programs to air. Officials of the two stations previously said antitrust and federal television ownership laws require that these operations remain separate.

I have not seen any instances of collusion, Mr. Thomas said. Mr. Sweeda said he has been buying television advertising since 1985 and said WYOU and WBRE are still as competitive as ever. Department of Justice investigators began phoning owners of local advertising agencies and at least one competitor to see how WBRE and WYOU sell commercial airtime.

ply and demand govern how much an advertiser pays for commercial time. Prices range from $8,000 for a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to $10 for 30 seconds in the middle of the night. I have heard a rumor (about I can tell you absolutely that there is no agreement between the two stations, Mr. Sook said. David Smith, president of Bas-tet Broadcasting, Columbus, Ohio, which owns WYOU, did not return a call placed to his home Saturday.

Nexstar used to own ARCHBALDS FUTURE MAY PLAY ON ITS PAST SEE PAGE B7 4 UWLvJiMIlG. at 4 4.