Woman Accused In Endangerment Case Keeps Job

Archery Contest Hits The Spot 
Show Director Tom Austin Unabashedly Calls It The Largest Indoor 3-d Archery 
Contest On Earth.

Saturday, January 25, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





To repeat: Jim Nelligan receives one, that's one, pension &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many thanks for correcting (Nov. 14) the false accusation about me
circulated through The Times Leader by Katherine Evans of West Pittston. (Nov.
9)Ms. Evans stoops so low as to tarnish the truth in her attempt to discredit
me in retaliation for my letter to the editor (Oct.17), criticizing the
administration and management of the Lake-Lehman School District. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I expressed at that time opposition to the 23-mill tax increase approved by
the tax-and-spend majority of the school board. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I criticized the superintendent, administrators and teachers for not
sharing the enormous tax burden of 213 mills with beleaguered taxpayers by
waiving their unaffordable salary increases in a school district tottering on
the brink of bankruptcy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I deplored Superintendent William Price's decision to cut a student program
while gobbling up two non-mandated pay raises totaling an 8 percent increase
during the first 18 months of his contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Typically, as is the case with most of the responses to my letters to the
editor criticizing the operation of the Lake-Lehman School District, Ms. Evans
made no attempt to dispute either the facts or merits of my message. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rather, she resorted to untruths in an attack on the messenger. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ms. Evans stated, "From all accounts, I understand he (Nelligan) has
several pensions paid by the taxpayers. Perhaps he should consider returning
one." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ms. Evans' statement that I have several pensions paid by the taxpayers is
a lie and I believe she knows it. For the record, once again, I receive only
one pension, government or otherwise. That one pension is a federal pension
based on 31 years of federal service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She cited, "From all accounts" as the source of her accusation. This, too,
is a lie which I believe she knows. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At least one account of the truth that refutes Ms. Evans' accusation was
previously published in the Back Mountain Leader (Nov. 16, 1995). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At that time, I took Ed Whipple to task for accusing me (Nov. 2, 1995), of
receiving "two government retirement incomes." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ed Whipple is the husband of Lake-Lehman School Board member Karen Whipple. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I publicly challenged him to name the source of the two incomes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One year later, I am still waiting for Whipple's response. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I challenge Ms. Evans to name the source of the "several pensions paid by
the taxpayers" that she has accused me of receiving. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I welcome her response. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 However, I doubt that she has the courage to do so. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Times Leader took it upon itself to add to Katherine Evans' letter the
following headline, "Should be payback time for Nelligan, too." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It is obvious that those responsible for the headline have little or no
knowledge of financial conditions in the Lake-Lehman School District. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Believe me, with a tax-and-spend school board that has raised taxes 66
percent during the last eight years, administrators' and teachers' salary and
benefit increases exceeding 64 percent during the same period of time, and
school taxes among the highest in Luzerne County at 213 mills, payback for
Nelligan and the other taxpayers of Lake-Lehman started years ago and has
continued "big-time" with no end in sight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The malicious rumor that I receive several pensions has permeated the
Lake-Lehman School District for years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Unfortunately, The Times Leader collaborated in circulating this rumor
throughout and beyond the Wyoming Valley. Not once was I contacted to verify
its accuracy before it was printed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was I who informed The Times Leader that the rumor was a lie. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Obviously this made little difference. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Not only did The Times Leader republish the false accusations in Ms. Evans'
letter but, I believe, it attempted to sensationalize them through the use of
a provocative headline. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I leave it to your readers to judge whether The Times Leader's performance
in this matter can be attributed to inefficiency, irresponsibility, or both. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jim Nelligan &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Harveys Lake &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Editor's note: The Times Leader has inspected a copy of Jim Nelligan's most
recent 1040 tax form and confirms that he receives only one pension. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

To Repeat: Jim Nelligan Receives One, That's One, Pension 
Many Thanks For Correcting (nov. 14) The False Accusation About Me Circulated 
Through The Times Leader By Katherine Evans Of West Pittston. (nov. 9).

To Repeat: Jim Nelligan Receives One, That's One, Pension Many Thanks For Correcting (nov. 14) The False Accusation About Me Circulated Through The Times Leader By Katherine Evans Of West Pittston. (nov. 9).