Vol. 115 No. 20 8 Serving itup for the church Page 3 L The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 May 16 to May 22, 2004 POST SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Penn State cites Eric Lee for service to the community By M.B. GILLIGAN & Post Correspondent LEHMAN TWP. — Eric Lee does not seek recognition for his contributions to the area, but it has found him. The Pennsylvania State Uni- versity Wilkes-Barre Campus presented Lee with the Out- standing Community Service Award at the campus com- mencement ceremony, May 15. The award, which recognizes a community member whose service and volunteerism posi- tively affect the quality of life in the Wyoming Valley, comes with a one-time scholarship. A student who is enrolled at the campus for the 2004-2005 aca- demic year and who has demonstrated academic excel- lence and community service will receive the scholarship in Lee’s name. “My family and I are very blessed and proud to be a part f this wonderful community, a @.. we have called home for 28 years,” said Lee. “We take our citizenship very seriously. It is not good enough just to be an American. I try to be a good American, a good citizen.” Lee spoke from the heart in encouraging young people to become civic-minded. He sug- gested they take a trip overseas if even for just a short period of time. He predicted they would come back with an understand- ing of why so many people want to immigrate to the Unit- ed States. Eric Lee was born in Borneo d came to the U.S. in 1971 to end the University of Geor- gia. He earned a Masters de- gree in Journalism and began his career in the restaurant business as a dishwasher on Long Island. He moved to Wilkes-Barre in 1976 and is the See SERVICE, pg 2 Finally, warm weather fun FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Here | am! Matthew Fried, Dallas, played on the equipment at Center Street Park in Kingston Township last week. Warm weather meant a lot more activity at local recreation areas. More than a junket, field studies bring school to life By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Correspondent $500 each. A student with a great imagination gazing out a win- dow at Dallas Senior High School might pretend that newly furrowed Back Mountain fields are ocean waves and barns are whaling ships. But Herman Melville's clas- sic tale “Moby Dick” truly comes to life if that same teenager sights whales in Provincetown Harbor and smells the salty New England air from the deck of a 19th century sailing ship. That’s what Eleanor Buda, the American Literature teacher at Dallas Senior High School, figured. Her thought is now an annual, almost 20-year-old, field stud- ies program at the high school that brings the literature curriculum to life for her students. It was a rough start in the mid 1980s admits Buda. Dal- las School District officials had concerns about a four- day, overnight bus trip to New England during the aca- demic year. Safety and academic accountability were a concern. “And well, you can’t miss school, just to miss school. But believe me, I am not a travel tour director. Many days we are too busy to stop for lunch,” says Buda. The first group traveled with school nurse Laura O’- Malley, June Eyet, Louis Isaac, Meaghan Gilroy, and Buda, but subsequent trips have included parent chaper- ones as well. The trips are paid for through fundraisers and the student’s own contributions, and cost around See FIELD, pg 3 PHOTO CONTRIBUTED At Plimouth Plantation during the 2003 trip. Stephanie Miller, foreground; standing from left: Danielle Zarambo, Matt Moser, Renee Lavin, Tom Wilcox, Todd Buckley, John Gilligan. ¥ Inside The Post &é Planning a fun summer at Dallas Elementary Page 10 Local graduates at College Misericordia and Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Page 10 12 Pages, 1 Section Calendar Church ¥ How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 thepost@leader.net ~ 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre PA 18711 Advertising: 970-7102 Subscriptions and Delivery: 829-5000 By RONALD BARTIZEK In fact, she said, their credentials Post Staff were virtually identical; both were graduates of Penn State and they had done student teaching at the same school. DALLAS TWP. — Dallas School Board member Maureen Matiska doesn’t understand why two middle “My goodness, it's all above board.” David Usavage School Board President school math teachers weren't hired at the May 10 meeting. And she ques- tions why an applicant she says was recommended to the board was passed over. “We had two excellent candidates,” The board hired Russell Eyet, who has been substituting in the district, as computer technology/math teacher at the middle school, at a salary of $29,930. The position was created when a math teacher moved up to the high school to fill a vacancy created by Board president David Usavage feels the recommendation was misrepre- sented. He said Tuesday that after a second round of interviews, which only he and board member Gary Mathers attended, a third round was she said last week. “They would d justice to the kids.” ~ the resignation of Greg Solfanelli. FOR THE POST/M.B. GILLIGAN Water for all Sierra Rose Houck-Boyer, a fourth grade student at Lehman-Jackson Ele- mentary School set up a water distillation operation for her science proj- ect. Several area schools held science fairs last week. More photos on page 2. RE Ey added so other board members could Hiring decision at Dallas fuels suspicion of favoritism observe and comment. Miscommuni- cation between the board and adminis- tration had caused notices of the sec- ond meeting to be skipped. Douglas Shook, who now teaches in Maryland, had been favored by a team of administrators, in part because he had stronger computer experience, but after the third interview, which Us- avage said six board members attend- ed, the district's math department See HIRING, pg 2 Burning ‘grace period to June 11 By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — Burn, baby, burn. That may be the mantra of township residents in the next month. At their May 12 meeting, the supervi- sors voted to allow open burning of large piles of brush, tree limbs and other debris until a new burning ordi- nance takes effect on June 11. “It’s a grace period,” said vice chairman Jef- frey Box, and is acceptable partly be- cause all burning had been banned as the new rules were finalized. Like every other discussion about burning, this one became more com- plicated than first anticipated. Rosaria Shaver, who has argued for excep- tions for businesses and owners of large tracts of land, again made that plea. In response, Solicitor Ben Jones III repeated his opinion that if the or- dinance is not uniformly applied it will be worthless. Jim Reino, of Lincoln Drive, ques- tioned the time allowed for burning. During the “window of opportunity,” as Jones called it, one of 13 condi- tions for obtaining a permit will be suspended, allowing fires larger than 5 feet square and a duration of more than three hours. But while the per- mit states that fires must be extin- guished by 8 p.m., it does not restrict when they may be started. “Could someone start at midnight and burn until 8 p.m.?” Reino asked. The board agreed to limit the hours to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Among other con- ditions that apply: e A permit must be obtained from the zoning officer before any burning can take place. e No trash or recyclables, including leaves, material may be burned. eo Water or extinguishers must be on site. ¢" Fires must be kept 50 feet from See BURNING, pg 2 RE a Ep a ee pest eg na
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