The Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania • 3

9 THE TRIBUNE. SCRANTON, PA TUESDAY, JULY 9. 1996 SI P) IT 111 HI IM.I1IMI I. wn Lightning shocks 3 on highway project By Paul Lyon TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER Meanwhile, the storm caused basement flooding and road washouts. It also downed tree limbs that caused roughly 500 Pennsylvania Power Light Co.

customers in the Hamlin area to be without electricity, said Rich Beasley, Scranton area manager. Beasley said the utility expected to have power restored to all those customers by midnight. All but 200 had been restored by 8.15 p.m., he said. Beasley said the storm caused roughly 25 scattered power outages elsewhere in Lackawanna County. The highway construction workers encountered the lightning about 2:30 p.m.

on what will become the new Throop exit ramp along northbound Interstate 81, the Lane spokesman said. Darrick Gula, 22, of Rockwood and James Giannini, 31, of New Milford were taken to Community Medical Center, while Larry Amber, 43, of Frackville was taken to Mercy Hospital, authorities said. All were treated in the hospitals emergency rooms and released. The Lane spokesman said none of the men was seriously injured. He said Amber, who suffered most, complained of numbness and tingling in his hands.

Ruth Sorber, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation in Dunmore, said all of the men were able to walk to the ambulances that took them to CMC and Mercy. The Lane spokesman said the men were working on concrete paving on the new exit ramp when the storm moved in. Anticipating the rain, which makes concrete work impossible, the men quit for the day and were cleaning up their tools when the lightning struck. He said they were standing in the vicinity of a large metal paving machine, which was idle at the time. The spokesman said six more workers were in the vicinity, but none of them was struck.

At the time of the lightning strike, a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for Luzerne County but not Lackawanna County. Dan Portavona, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Doppler ra dar indicated a severe thunderstorm was in the region at the time. Portavona said the NWS would need to check ground reports 'of storm damage with the countys Emergency Management Agency before determining if a storm meeting its severe criteria did pass through the area. WNEP-TVs Doppler radar showed a thunderstorm cell over Clarks Summit about the same time, said Tom chief meteorologist. But, he said, any thunderstorm activity, not just severe thunderstorms that would trigger a weather-service warning, can produce dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning.

A lightning bolt shocked three men 'working on the Lackawanna Valley Industrial Highway project in Dunmore Monday afternoon. While none of the men was struck directly during a thunderstorm that blew through the region, the lightning's force enough to send all three to area hospitals. As near as we know, there was no direct hit There was lightning in the iarea, said a spokesman for Lane Construction the states contractor for the highway project The spokesman declined to be identified i Nexsta WYOU By Rich Mates TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER rcans execs i Balkan said of his ouster. A 20-year broadcast veteran, Balkan spent a number of years at WNEP-TV before joining WYOU in September 1985. He designed and built WYOUp hew transmitter site in Moun-taintop and built the Sharp Shooter remote broadcast truck, used for local sporting events.

He is scheduled to leave Wednesday for the Summer Olympics, where he will work as technical manager for NBCs coverage of rowing and canoeing. He has worked at several past Olympics for NBC along with Bill Christian, former WYOU general manager, who was let go June 17 when Nexstar assumed control. Once he gets back to his Hai-veys Lake home alter Aug. 8, Balkan will begin a Job huhb- I never applied for a Job in my life," Balkan, an area native, said Monday. He said he has always been offered jobs.

Yuna, news director at WYOU for about 18 months, said his firing was a not-unexpected business decision. Before Joining WYOU as news director, Yuna worked for several television stations as a pro- PleaM sea Neaatar, Paga Ak Three top managers at WYOU-TV were terminated Monday, and a fourth left last week. The move comes about three weeks after Channel 22 was sold to a group of investors who plan to make it the flagship of a new broadcast chain of stations. Leaving WYOU are: Bob Yuna, news director Joe Balkan, chief engineer Harry McClintock, program director Robert A. Fein, formerly WYOUs general sales manager and director of national sales for Diversified Communications group of stations, left early last week to become general sales manager at WBAL-TV, Baltimore, part of Hearst Broadcasting Inc.

The removal of Yuna, Balkan and McClintock was announced to personnel In a bulletin-board memo from Diversified Communications, which still holds WYOUs license. Nexstar Broadcasting Group is operating the station under a local marketing agreement until the Federal Communications Commission approves the license transfer. "I was totally shocked," Santorum pushes for tax credits By David tinglclon TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER A federal proposal to provide tax credits for charitable donations would encourage charity and restore the connection between taxpayers and their communities, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum said Monday.

Facing a sometimes skeptical audience of social-services providers at the University of Scranton, Santorum, Pittsburgh, ar-feued the renewed connection would help donors and non-profit organizations that aid their local poor. "What were losing is the fabric," Santorum told representatives of non-profit groups during roundtable discussion. One of the reasons is were no longer connected to each other. Under the senators proposal, a taxpayer would be permitted to contribute up to $500 $1,000 for joint fliers to any qualified private charity engaged in poverty-relief efforts. In return, the taxpayer would receive a dollar for-dollar credit off his or her total tax liability on the first $100 of the contribution, and a 90nt credit on every dollar after that.

To be eligible, a charitable organization would have to spend at least 75 percent directly on the poor. Santorum estimated the proposal would produce $3 billion to $4 billion annually in new funding for private charities, which he said do a better job than government In helping the poor in their communities. Compassion is not something that government is good he said. What we believe is compassion is getting individuals involved in their communities." Nearly a dozen charitable versity of Scranton president in the Estate building on campus. groups from Lackawanna and Luzerne counties were represented, ranging from the Salvation Army to Catholic Social Services to Habitat for Humanity.

Santorum said the federal government would make up for the lost tax revenue, at least in part, by cutting welfare spending and closing corporate tax loopholes. Some in the audience questioned the capability of charities to handle increased requests for services if entitlement spending is cut. They told Santorum their groups are already stretched to the limit, and many have waiting lists. Santorum said he does not accept the premise that reducing government entitlement programs will create more need. I think there will still be a federally subsidized safety net out there." he said.

But what we need is for you to step up to the plate more." He said if more people turn to charities because government programs are cut, that would be a good thing because charities are more efficient in delivering those services. The point is, Senator, we cant take care of them," coun tered Michael Hanley of United Neighborhood Centers. Santorum does not anticipate that non profit agencies that now receive federal binding will see that funding dry up if the tax credit becomes law. Rather, he said, he sees an opportunity for them to increase their budgets. He said charities may have to compete in the marketplace for contributions Just like everyone else." But he said the prospeed of a fund raising war" would be limited by the requirement that eligible charities spend at least 75 percent of their budgets on the poor.

We have BIG health plan benefits McDade accusers back on offensive lay Dmrid BUd TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER He spoke with Christian and asked him about his relationship with the congressman. He was ecstatic that he had made a very strong relationship, that he would support the congressman and the congressman would support him," Ramirez said. Also Monday, former Navy Capt. John Do-lina testified about the Sea Shed program. He said the Navy had concerns about Chem-Cons finances from the start.

Dolma said Chem Cons Sea Sheds contract suffered quick cost overruns, and only more contracts kept the company afloat. Dolma said he normally would have lowered the boom" on a contractor with such problems, but Chem-Con was minority-owned and working in an area of high unemployment ith lots of congressional interest. In cases like that you bend over backwards and take some financial risks with taxpayer money that you not otherwise take," he said. Chem-Con President James Christian and McDade aide Raymond Tim" Wittig had a meeting during which Christian promised campaign contributions and bind raising events for McDade and the congressman pledged to support Chem-Cons contracts. On Monday, new prosecution witness Richard Ramirez, an ex top Navy official convicted of taking bribes in the 1980s, Including $120,000 from Chem-Con.

said Christian told him about the deal with McDade a year before the alleged meeting. Ramirez Introduced Wittig to Christian in 1962. At the time, Wittig had the task of finding a contractor to open a Renovo plant, and he eventually selected Chem-Con. Ramirez said he steered Wittig toward ChemCon while receiving company bribes. He is not alleged to have been involved in any crime ith McDade.

He told the jury he attended part of a meeting involving McDade, Wittig and Christian. PHILADELPHIA Prosecutors returned from the four -day Independence Day break Monday to pick up where they left off Wednesday, with testimony about McDade's -support of a defense contractor. McDade is accused of supporting federal contracts for United ChemCon Corp. in exchange for campaign contributions and gifts. He was Instrumental in helping the Lancaster company set up a plant in his district in 1963, creating hundreds of jobs in a town ith 85 percent unemployment.

Renovo, Clinton County, had just become of McDade's district at the time. Prior witnesses have testified that McDade received gifts, campaign contributions and free plane trips from Chem-Con during the four years it operated in Renovo. In 1983, thb prosecution says, McDade, I I Mows lari Hnyxuf. Srramnn Mv4 4 22. 10 am VtarSmtinaiA I unktiann 4 lOsmASpm With Gettingw Health Plan, you can recent big health benefits that wont Now your budget, even i you dont belong to a group plan.

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mulahie loft free roursi the-citi to provide medical direction arid health rdurmaLan to yu jun ui far an rd rmatvttal meeting near you. If you art Medicare Me and rtereed mGHCpIrajecaS 1 -HA--631 if 56 (r rtormatawy. the purse, which contained $150, Smith said. She arrested Akers. 31, 16t Prospect and planned to charge him with robbery and failing to pay $402 25 in fines for passing bad checks on an earl ter arrest arrant Akers was unarmed, but Mid diet on and De Pietro didn't know that hen the cdxaw started.

We saw who mugged her, and we got in the car and went after the guy. We just didnt think about it" he said Just an average day in the neighbor hood." De Pietro said he ran outside and saw a man in a pink shirt running on Plttston Avenue. He came back Inside to find out if the suspect was wearing a pink shirt Yes, he was told. Me and Vince ran outside to my car and went to go get him." De Pietro said. They caught up to the robber three blocks away tn the 500 block of Palm Street police said.

Middleton tackled him. and they held him down until police 60s and from Dunmore. She bought a pizza at the shop at 1330 Pittston Ave. about 10 m. and was getting tnto her car in the 400 block of Cherry Street.

Aker walked up to the woman and asked her for the time. As she looked at her watch, A ken bumped her, reached tnto her car. grabbed her purse from the front seat and dashed off. the officer sa id The oman screamed for help, and another man ran Into the pizza shop to look for a phone. TmeuNf tiAff wmrw The guys at A Slice of Italy serve up pizza and protection.

Not only do they bake your pizza to order, they also catch -your mugger. Dishwasher Vince Middleton. 30. and cook Robert DePietro, 22, nabbed Lloyd Akers, who snatched the purse of a female customer Monday evening, city "Patrol woman Jamie Smith said. Theyre heroes I guess," Middleton said.

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