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Friday, September 13, 1996     Page:

STERN’S SPOUSE QUITS POST:
   
Jo Stern, wife of Wyoming Valley Health Care System President and Chief
    Executive Officer Ron Stern, has resigned her position as vice president of
the system’s Health Services DivisionIn an announcement made Thursday, Stern
said she was resigning to pursue other career opportunities, including work on
a doctorate.
   
Her position will not be filled, hospital spokesman Jim Roberts said.
   
Roberts said he could not say who will take over her duties. During the
next few weeks, the hospital will “consider strategies” for the Health
Services Division, he said.
   
Stern could not be reached late Thursday afternoon; a secretary said she
was in a meeting.
   
An effective date for her departure has not been decided, Roberts said.
   
Stern was criticized by hospital employees beginning in 1993 when her
appointment was announced by her husband.
   
She had held the position at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital prior to the merger
of Nesbitt and Wilkes-Barre General to form the health care system.
   
Stern’s salary has not been made public and was not reported in the
hospital’s annual reports to the Internal Revenue Service.
   
Roberts said he did not know her age and would not release it if he did.
   
Stern was one of 14 vice presidents appointed when the health care system
was created.
   
TAXMAN GOES AFTER DELINQUENTS:
   
Berkheimer Associates, the delinquent tax collector for Wilkes-Barre
schools and city, will file lawsuits against local taxpayers for failure to
pay 1994 and prior year Earned Income Tax.
   
Any taxpayer who is sued will be responsible for legal fees and court
costs.
   
Any taxpayer wishing to settle their account prior to the hearing at a
magistrate’s office, may contact Berkheimer Associates at 50 N. Seventh St.,
Bangor, Pa., 18013.
   
The phone number is (610) 588-0965 or 1-800-360-8989, extension 3.
   
DAIRY GROUP TO MEET:
   
The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council Inc. will hold a district
meeting to update area dairy farmers on how their promotion investment is used
to increase milk sales.
   
The District 17 meeting for dairy farmers from Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming,
Lackawanna, Luzerne and Carbon counties will be at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the
Gibson Grange Hall in Gelatt.
   
Dinner is provided free to two people per farm and $2-off coupons are
available to additional people from the same farm. Reservations must be made
by calling Allen Roszel at 278-2433 or Jim Garner at 278-3905 by Oct. 7.
   
HEARINGS SET FOR BELL RATE CHANGES:
   
State Sen. Roger Madigan, R-Bradford, chairman of the Senate Agricultural
and Rural Affairs Committee, has announced two public hearings on Bell
Atlantic’s proposed rate “rebalancing” for its 4 million Pennsylvania
customers.
   
The hearings will address the potential effects of the rate changes in
rural Pennsylvania, particularly as the changes might affect economic
development, Madigan said.
   
The hearings are scheduled for Sept. 25 at the Capitol in Harrisburg and
Oct. 3 in Williamsport.
   
Under the proposal, telephone rates would go down for customers in
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and up for most rural customers, who use just
basic services.
   
In Williamsport, for example, a residential customer’s basic service would
increase 62 percent, and business user’s multi-line charges would go up 21
percent.
   
Hearing times and locations will be announced.
   
ROCK STATION HAS NEW OWNERS:
   
Along with a change in format, WZMT-FM in Hazleton changed owners. Hazleton
area businessman Bob Moisey transferred control of the station formerly known
as “97.9 The Mountain,” to Telemedia Broadcasting Co. Moisey also transferred
control of WAZL-AM to Telemedia, which owns and operates 23 radio stations
throughout Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Illinois. WZMT, now known as “98
Rock,” has switched from a classic rock format to a combination modern and
classic rock format. Both parties reached an agreement on the transfer on Aug.
1, according to a news release from Telemedia dated Sept. 11.
   
— Staff and wire reports