Wyoming Man 
Gets Domestic 
Relations Post 
On Monday, Joe Cotter Became Chief Enforcement Probation Officer

302 Jobs Will Be Cut 
At Tobyhanna Depot 
The Facility Must Be Made More Competitive And Less Susceptible To Closing, 
Says Its Commander

By P. DOUGLAS FILAROSKI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Monday, January 24, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: NANTICOKE TAXPAYERS
BACK ZAREMBA 





NANTICOKE -- Taxpayers gave a vote of confidence to Police Chief Chester
Zaremba on Sunday as the new mayor who reportedly wants him replaced looked on
without comment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Nanticoke Taxpayers Forum voiced support for Zaremba during a meeting
at City Hall. Mayor Wasil Kobela attended the meeting to address a crime-watch
initiative, but did not comment on the vote. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Members of the taxpayers group said Kobela, a former city police chief, is
considering replacing Zaremba with other members of the department with whom
he worked during his 20-year stint. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kobela, a Democrat, was elected mayor in November over Republican John
"J.J. Fedders" Fedorchak, who is a member of the taxpayers group. Kobela
defeated incumbent mayor Walter Sokolowski in the Democratic primary last
spring. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 According to members of the taxpayers group, the new mayor has discussed
hiring officer Billy Brown or captain Jim Chesinski to replace Zaremba, who
was hired by Sokolowski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kobela has said he's considering layoffs to cut the city's $500,000
deficit, but he has not targeted anyone specifically. However he did
acknowledge after Sunday's meeting that replacing Zaremba is "possible." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Replacing Zaremba with someone earning less than his annual $28,000 salary
could save the city about $10,000 in salary and benefits costs, according to a
member of the taxpayers' group. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Zaremba said Sunday he has met several times with Kobela in the past month
regarding police business. But he said the new mayor has not discussed with
him the prospect of his firing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The mayor and I have never discussed my job status, although we work on a
day-to-day basis," said Zaremba, a former state trooper who has served as
chief for about a year. "I feel we have a good working relationship.' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Hank Kellar, president of the taxpayers forum, said the group heard reports
of Kobela's discussions of a new chief. "We just feel that (Zaremba) has done
a good job, and we want to keep him," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, Kobela on Sunday agreed to implement a city crime-watch program
which the taxpayers group has been backing and which Zaremba agreed may be
viewed as another element of support for him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think it is (another vote of confidence)," said Zaremba. "I've tried to
move this department closer to the people since I took over, and I think we've
done a pretty good job with that." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kellar said his group supports Zaremba because of his 23 years of
experience with the state police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "From what we've seen of his qualifications, we think he's the best man for
the job," Kellar said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The crime watch initiative -- directed by Fedorchak -- would involve local
residents patrolling areas which have been identified as trouble spots. The
residents would report suspicious activity to police. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Crime watch is not a replacement for the police department. It's intended
to help police do their jobs," Fedorchak said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kobela said he would work with police to implement the program. The former
police chief said the city had a similar program in 1979, but it eventually
fizzled out due to lack of interest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The mayor urged residents to stay involved in the program this time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Zaremba agreed that crime watch would be a useful tool for what he referred
to as an understaffed police department. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Right now, we have a situation where all our time is so-called `committed
time' -- where we're either going to an incident or coming from one. We can't
be proactive," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This puts those additional eyes and ears on the road ... It's about to get
back to the concept, the attitude that police are here to work with citizens,"
he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/CARA MENICHELLI &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Members of the Nanticoke Taxpayers Forum voiced support Sunday for police
chief Chester Zaremba

Nanticoke Taxpayers Back Zaremba 
The Group Prefers Thepolice Chief's 23 Years Of 
Experience With State Police To Any Other Candidate The 
Mayor May Have In Mind

Nanticoke Taxpayers Back Zaremba The Group Prefers Thepolice Chief's 23 Years Of Experience With State Police To Any Other Candidate The Mayor May Have In Mind