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Bingo-fund charges not mentioned

Swoyersville council silent about the alleged theft of funds from Volunteer Hose Company No. 1.

RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent

SWOYERSVILLE -- Borough officials were mum Monday night about the case involving missing bingo funds from the borough’s Volunteer Hose Company No. 1.

Charges have been lodged against Carol Gamble, 46, and her mother, Catherine Drago, 77, in the theft of more than $730,000 of bingo proceeds. Drago surrendered to District Judge David Barilla earlier on Monday.

Members of the fire department attended the meeting, but were not questioned and abruptly left after adjournment.

When asked about the case, council Chairman Ronald Alunni said the borough is not involved in any way with the fire department’s funds.

The department does not use any borough money and functions as an independent entity, Alunni said. He added the council received legal instruction to make no comments about the case.

Council member William Keating nodded in agreement with Alunni’s comments. Council member Deborah Layaou also said she could not comment.

Borough solicitor Joseph Yeager said after the meeting that any comment from borough officials or fire department personnel would be “inappropriate.”

Queries about the case should be forwarded to Luzerne County assistant district attorney David Pedri, who now oversees it, Yeager said.

In other business, borough zoning board chairman Mark Nenichka asked if he could take an opportunity to question the contracted service company Building Inspection Underwriters Inc. The borough plans to organize a meeting in the next few weeks at which Nenichka can air his concerns.

According to Nenichka, company inspectors are supposed to enforce the state mandated uniform construction codes in the borough. However, he said they are “selectively” enforcing codes. He said he wants to “quiz” them on how they are making their determinations.

Nenichka also asked the borough for help in updating the zoning manual to include rules for subdivisions and townhouse complexes. He said the borough has no zoning rules to speak of. He recommended the borough mirror the building codes being used by county inspectors.

Yeager advised Nenichka to put together an outline of the necessary revision for council approval.

The council approved moving meetings in 2009 that fall on Monday holidays to the following Tuesday. The borough’s regular meetings otherwise will be held on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal building on Main Street.