Bell Atlantic Offers $5,000 Reward in Taylor Vandalism

Bell Atlantic Offers $5,000 Reward in Taylor Vandalism

Early Morning Fire Affects Phone Service for Up to 1,000
Customers

October 23, 1998

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Bell Atlantic is offering a $5,000 reward for
information leading to the arrest and conviction of vandals responsible for
deliberately setting a fire that disrupted telephone service for customers in
the 562 telephone exchange in Taylor, located in Lackawanna County.

"The vandals stacked rubber tires at the base of a telephone pole this
morning, then set it ablaze," said Dan McDavitt, Bell Atlantic customer
service manager. "The resulting fire has affected phone service for up to
1,000 residential and business customers in the area."

The company has received about 100 customer repair reports through early
this afternoon.

"We will not tolerate senseless vandalism that deprives our customers of
their telephone service," McDavitt said. Bell Atlantic crews are making
repairs and hope to restore service to the majority of customers by 6 p.m.
today.

The telephone pole is located in an abandoned field between Union and
Oak streets in Taylor. Anyone who has information regarding the incident
should call McDavitt at (717) 348-5911. Collect calls will be accepted.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information
industry. With 42 million telephone access lines and eight million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of
advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless
services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell
Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth
global communications markets, with operations and investments in
23 countries.