`gas' Recalls Audience With His Airness 
When A Guy Called ``gas'' Met The Nba's Master, Speed Dominated The 
Conversation.

3 Firms Compete To Oversee Arena 
Convention Center 
Authority Hears From Each 
About The Construction Of 
Planned $44 Million Center

Saturday, June 29, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 6A 





EXETER -- The Wyoming Area School Board on Thursday unanimously passed a
$16.3 million budget for the 1996-97 school year. The new budget includes a
7-mill increase in taxes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The increase raises the tax millage for Exeter, West Pittston, and Wyoming
in Luzerne County to 177 mills and to 70.8 mills for Exeter Township in
Wyoming County. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Five mills of the increase will go to the district's current building
program. The remaining 2 mills will be allocated to the general fund, said
Eugene Thomas, board president. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The district plans to build six new classrooms at the Sara Dymond and John
F. Kennedy elementary schools and to renovate the high school, at a total cost
of about $1.5 million. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 1996-97 budget is a 3 percent increase over the current budget of $15.8
million. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The millage increase was reduced by two mills from the board's original
proposal of 179 mills at a work session last Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 According to Business Manager Harry Giacometti, the board transferred
$20,000 from the district's fund balance and $30,000 from the building and
grounds balance from the current year in order to reduce the millage increase
for the 1996-97 budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A mill is a $1 tax for each $1,000 of assessed property value. Each mill
generates $36,000 for the school district. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board has canceled its July meeting and will not meet again until its
scheduled meeting in August. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Wyoming Area Passes Budget; Taxes To Rise