The Times-Tribune du lieu suivant : Scranton, Pennsylvania • 3

t' THE SCRANTON TIMES. FRIDAY. APRIL 26. 1985 Deaths Woman Volunteer Honoree A Tunkhunnook woman who duos voluntoor work 'at Tyler Memorial Hospital tour to five d'avs City firemen battle a blaze in a house at 3.10-312 Prescott Ave. which was destroyed by the flames Thursday night.

Fire Chief Robert Ruddy said the two-alarm fire was the work of an arsonist. (Staff Photo by Michael Mullen) Hill Section Fijre Was Set For Boat The families of four persons killed jn a 1983 boating accident at Harveys Lake in Luzerne County have filed separate multi-million-dollar lawsuits in federal court here against the manufacturers of the boats involved in the-accident. The victims were members of two families and all were in the same boat. The vessel was struck by another boat on June 18, 1983. off the Point Breeze section of Harveys Lake Killed in the accident were Mrs.

Sharon Pallis. 39. Valley View Drive. Wyoming RD her 6-year-old son, Joseph Pallis; Mrs Karen Pitcavage, 34, Crown Hill Village. Box 146.

Wyoming RD and her 7-year-old son, Thomas Pitcavage. The suits were filed by Thomas Pitcavage and his daughter, Melissa, the surviving members of the Pitcavage family. Listed as plaintiffs in the other suit 'are Leonard Pallis Jr and his daughter. Michelle, the surviving members of the Pallis family, and Amelia Old- field, who is overseeing the Pallis' estate Mastercraft Boat Co Alaryvillei and Baja Boats Inc Bucyrus, Ohio, are listed as defendants in both actions. Suits filed in federal court here normally state only that the plaintiffs are seeking in excess of $10,000 in damages.

However, the Pitcavage suit lists $15.1 million in damages and the Pallis suit lists $15 million in-damages. The suits contend the defendant companies improperly designed their boats, were negligent in not warning prospective buyers about the dangers involved in operating the boats and violated their warranties by selling unsafe products expressing interest in aOTiiring the church. The congregation also discloswI'TtiSC since last year. it. has Been chartered as the "Christian Science Society of Lackawanna County The newly acquired structure, although nothing officially has Been disclosed as yet, is expected to be-rlosely tied in with -operations of the.

present main city library The structure has a full basement which potentially could Be converter for school purposes The- main floor comprises tne church area itself, designed to seat about 350 persons. The top floor was used for office space. The Christian Science Church had its roots firmly planted in New England under the" guidance of Mrs Mary Baker Eddy, wio died Dec 3. 1910 She was inspired the lessons which By THOMAS K. STAFF Times Staff Writer A two-alarm fire that destroyed a double house in the Hill Seel ion Thursday mghl was definitely set.

Fire Chief Robert Ruddy said today Inspectors have launched a full-scale investigation in an attempt to deter Plans for Use Not Determined Library Ownership of Church Site By GENE COLEMAN Times Start Writer The Lackawanna County Library system today look over ownership of the 51-year-old Christian Seienee Churt at 520 Vine SI long considered ol the most beautiiul structures in the city, at a purchase priee of And while attorney Call, head of the Lackawanna County Library Board, said no. definitive plans have jelled as ct lor its future, he did say there are plans being mulled in light of applications being prepared, aimed at gaining state and ledcral grants which could generate some $400,000 to renovate the stately structure At the formal closing in the offices of the law firm of Oliver. Price Rhodes, which is representing the congregation. Call said hr future plans will hinge on the outcome of the nuped-for grants. each week is among 200 senior citizens singled out by the White House to be honored as part ol National Volunteer Week Elva Brown said she leels honored to he singled out by the White House lor her volunteer work, but had to decline an mutation to travel to Washington today for a Hose Harden reception President Heagan planned lor her and the othef senior volunteers "The invitation was sent to the wropg box number and, by the time got it.

I felt it was too late to make reservations." Mrs Brown said received it on April 18 and had to have it in the next day The White House later called her and wanted to know if she was coming, she said, but told them no I didn't want to travel' all that way alone." she said Although she said it is quite an honor" to be recognized by the White House for her volunteer work, she did not tell many people about it "We submitted her name." said Mrs Ann Rappapdrt. coordinator of the l.uerne-Wyoming Counties Bureau of Aging Retired Senior Volunteer Program. "hut we never heard anything about it "It's a surprise to me. she said when told hat Mrs Brown had been selected lor special recognition "I talked with her a couple days ago and she never mentioned it." Mrs Mary Morrison, supervisor of the gift shop at Tyler Memorial Hospital and a friend of Mrs. Brown, said she also had not mentioned it to her "She didn't mention it to anybody as far as I know." Mrs Morrison said Mrs Morrison described Mrs Brown as a "roving volunteer." who has volunteered 5.2(17 hours' working at Tyler And that's only since we started keeping records." she said A retired elementary school teacher.

Mrs Brown has been a volunteer with RSVP since dune 1974 "To me. she has been a life saver." Mrs Rappaport said "We sent her name in to the White House because of the thousands of hours she has volunteered and her help -in coordinating other senior volunteers "We tried to think of somebody who goes above and beyond the call of duty and she is the one." she added President Reagan is scheduled to speak to the honorees who attend the Rose 'Harden reception todav The ceremony was scheduled as part of an ongoing tribute by the president this week to the spirit of volunteerism. which Reagan called "one ol the distinguishing marks of the American experience On Thursday, the president paid Continued bn Page 10) Plans lor a major Fourth of July celebration for the grand opening of a Stramtown USA excursion boarding platform were announced Thursday, the second of two days of "brainstorm" meetings involving expert planners and community leaders trying to put together a significant tourist attraction The meetings were the first of sev-eral scheduled by Barry Howard, president ot BHA Design Jnc the firm selected By the Steamtown board of directors to plan everything from the arrival into the city to the departure for touri-ts The Howard firm not only will recommend the method to attract the tourists to Steamtown and how to give them a presentation worth their travel time and money, but also to suggest the way tor other businesses in town to benefit trom those tourists Howard will be back in town May 22 lor a similar meeting, according to James Gillespie. Steamtown general manager Accompanying Howard were several members of his staff with expertise in railroad history, economics and other aspects of the planning process. The July 4th celebration will be conducted to mark the opening of a new passenger platform to be constructed at Penn Avenue betwen the trac ks and the southerly side of Lackawanna Avenue.

Construction of the open-air structure is set to begin in-mid-May and will take All four victims were riding in a Baja boat when it was struck by a Mastercraft boat driven by Denis J. Abromavage of Pittston. Abromavage, 26. was sentenced last May to a term of 16 months to five years less one day in jail, plus five years' probation. He had pleaded guilty to four courts of involuntary manslaughter and one count each of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and reckless operation of a watercraft.

The complaints list Mark and Ralph Turner as the owners of the Mastercraft Model 19 Siker Mid-engine inboard watercraft wjth a 240-horsepower outboard motor mounted, to the stem, 1 The suit claims the Matercrafl boat, being operated at an excessive rate of speed, overtook and struck the slower moving Baja boat, traveling over the second craft and re-entering the water. I Among the complaints about the Mastercraft listed in the suits are; The boats bow and windshield were improperly designed, limiting visibility. Jts propeller, was should have stopped or shattered when it struck the Baja boat and its occupants. Its steering system was defective, preventing its driver from steering left. Its propulsion and throttle system should have been designed to slow the boat down.

The Baja company, the complaint says, negligently gave the boats stem a square shape, which allowed the Mastercraft to become airborne and sail over the passenger section of the Baja upon impact. The suits were filed by attorneys Perry J. Shertz and Stephen J. Fi-reoved of the Wilkes-Barre law firm of Roseen, Jenkins and Greenwald. came to her through an intense study of the Bible.

She came to Scranton for a time and the local society was founded, chartered in January, 1898 Its first services were conducted in a building at 519 Adams Ave. The society, according to background i given by members, was the first to be established in Pennsylvania In 1908, the congregation bought the Vine Street plot and constuction of the church began in 1912. It was completed the following year. The architectural Theme followed that of the Mother Church in Boston, Mass. Last February, the Scranton Public Library board of trustees was urged to buy the church property in conjunction with the coijnty board.

.05 10 Or More Bag 3.03 Ei. Boq STEP1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 -may APRIl-JUNE JUNE-AUG. AUG. -NOV. REG.

$79.00 ROW 5,000 Sq. FI. Our Sal Prici $58.95 Leu Scotts Refund $5.00 YOUR LOW $CQ QC RET COST UObUU SPREADING YEWS And RHODOS Keg. $9.95 SALE 5.95 10 For $4.95 Each GLOXIIIAS IMIS ORCHID PLANTS RIEGER BEGONIAS TREES FL CRAB FL. CHERRY DOGWOOD MAGNOLIA GOLDEN CHAIN WISTERIA MOUNTAIN ASH BRADFORD PEARS, etc.

BUD SCHULTZ GARDEN CENTER EXIT 55E, OFF 81 ONE BLOCK PAST BED LIGHT ON LEFT BETWEEN D0NM0BE i THB00P, PA. OPEll 7 DAYS A WEEK 3 power to a large area Ruddy said the flames broke out in the front of the basement and spread to the first and second floors. Fire Bureau Lt. Frank Burke suffered bums on his scalp and his right hand when a backdraft blew off his! (Continued on Page 10) time, adding that services had been conducted there until early last month. The congregation now will utilize a reading room at 335 North Washington Ave.

and. will conduct services on a regular basis oh the second floor of the Masonic Temple until new church quarters are found. While the Vine Street edifice has been desdribed as too large costly for the size of the present congregation. members said they preferred not to divulge the number of persons in the membership. The congregational members said they are delighted that the countv library system has acquired the building.

claiming it will be an "asset to the community. Negotiations for its sale had been under way quietly for some- time. However, it was known that some other organizations and individuals had been previously anticipated, Steamtown does intend to add a third excursion on that date. The schedule will have trains leaving the station at 11 a m. and 1 and.

3 m. Tuesday through Sunday. Bids for the platform. are scheduled to be opened May 10. Tim Aikman of Dalton designed the platform which will feature elements of ralroad station days of old.

The platform will include restroom facilities, and a ticket booth. Gavel? yers have been known to say in court, that is not the case. In a photograph of the mock trial which appeared today in The Tribune, Minora is there. Barrasse is there. The students are there.

And the gavel and goblet are there. The lawyers involved in the mock trial had little to say about the missing items, although courthouse employees in the courthouse corridors compensated for their silence with jokes and offers of drinks of water. After learning about the disappearance of the glass and gavel, Barrasse and Cherundolo pooled their resources and bought a new goblet. Walsh was still without a gavel at nress time, however. mine who set the blaze in the vacant building at 310-312 Prescott Ruddy said The first alarm sounded shortly before 10 and a second alarm was turned in bv fire companies arriving on the scene The blaze knocked out electrical In taking title, the county library system writ operate and maintain the -edifice, which is located immediately adjacent to Scranton's Albright Memorial Library Building, which is considered the hub of tne county library system The city, however, was not involved in the purchase of the Greek temple-styled church with its imposing pillars fronting on Vine Street.

Hmerfeld Realty, through broker Peg Savo. handled the transaction. Several members of the county library board were on hand for the legal closing, as well as representatives of the congregation. Among the latter were Pringle Snyder. treasurer, and Beverly Shaw, clerk They explained that the church has not actually been "vacant for a long Admittedly, Steamtown would be hard pressed now to meet the May 25 deadline practically and mechanically.

However, the time extension serves to -make for a more orchestrated, well planned community wide celebration." As a result of the delayed platform opening, trains will continue to operate out of the Hilton at Lackawanna Station until July 4. Although it will not be possible for Steamtown to expand its schedule to five trains a day beginning May 25 as chael Barrasse was themrosecutor and public defender David Cherundolo was the defense attorney. Students acted as defendants, witnesses and jurors Minora had the misfortune of having to appear for real legal business in motion court this morning before a three-judge panel, including Walsh, in the same courtroom where the mock trial was conducted Thursday night. Walsh wasted little time telling Minora that "the eourt wants its property Perhaps, someone in the courtroom suggested, the gavel and goblet disappeared before the mock trial took place If the camera does not lie, as law. lames Gillespie, Steamtown USA general manager, left, and Barry Howard, president of BHA Design the firm selected by the Steamtown board of directors to plan everything from the arrival into the city fo the departure of tourists, announce plans, for a gala July Fourth celebration to mark the official opening of the loading platform.

PINE BARK NUGGETS 3c7r CREEPING PHLOX PERENNIALS PANSIES WHITE PINE Ref. $34.95 MJ Foiliage Plants Hanging Plants AZALIA! S3.99 s4.99 Beg.S5.99 SALE Beg.S7.99 SALE FRUIT TREES SHRUBS FL. ALMOND 6 FL. QUINCE FORSYTHIA SMOKE TREES LIUCS VAR1GATED DOGWOOD ROSE OF SHARON MAR It's No Mocking Matter Judge Has a Beef: Where's the six weeks to complete The grand opening originally, was scheduled for Memorial' Day weekend but the opening ot bids for construction was set back bv site planning "We want the grand opening of Stcamtown new passenger platform to be an event many people can share in." Gillespie said. "Since July 4th is a time when out-of-town peciple travej to Scranton lor family get togethers it would seem an ideal time to plan a celebration everyone may enjov.

courtroom for motfon court, where he discovered his navel and his Waterford lead crystal water goblet were missing. Cheeking the eourt Calendar. Walsh quickly discovered that the last proceeding conducted in the courtroom Thursday night was a mock rape-murder trial Participants included three well-known Scranton attorneys who performed their real-life roles for about a score' ol pre-law students from Mary-wood College and the University of Scranton Attorney Carmen Minora, who also is a magistrate 'for the distric overing downtown Scranton, was the judge for the mock trial First Assistant District Attorney Mi By PATRICK McKENNA Times Start Writer Thieves suspected or convicted are a rather common sight in the Lackawanna County Courthouse as they comeand go for hearings, motions, pleas and sentences Five days per week, two weeks per month, they form a rather steady stream in and out of the courtrooms of the four Common Pleas judges who handle their cases. There were no known thieves in the courthouse Thursday night, however, when an apparent theft occurred in a courtroom full of attorneys and prospective attorneys Judge James Walsh arrived in his office this morning and headed to hi? SCOnS FERTILIZERS POTTING SOIL HUMUS OCEAN PEBBLES PEAT MOSS TOP SOIL RED BARK WHITE SAND LIKE.