{ { ! i i i Sunday, February 26, 2012 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 alent abounds at Trimity Church By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The Rev. Roger Griffith knows he has talent. He’s been part of the band, Eddie Day & the Starfires, as a bass player since the late 1960s. He knows his church has tal- ent. Trinity Presbyterian Church on Irem Road in Dallas has had a praise band for the past seven years, and the group even revis- es classic hymns to breathe new life into older music. But it wasn’t until Feb. 17 that Griffith, who has been the pas- tor at Trinity for seven years af- ter being away from the area, learned that the surrounding community has talent, too. The church sponsored a talent show, called Back Mountain Has Talent, to give locals a chance to let their varied skills shine. Auditions were held in five different categories: vocal, in- strumental, dance, poetry and Broadway. Griffith got the idea to host the talent show after judging the open mic nights during Dal- las Days before the Dallas Har- vest Festival for the last three years. “Music has been important to me all my life, and it’s a big part of what we do here (at the church),” he said. “Music is very therapeutic and it transcends all ages and all barriers, across de- nominations.” ecia Evans, 23, of Dallas, tiously waited in the front pew to perform with her boy- friend, 30-year-old Robert Wil- liams, of Dallas. Evans has been singing for much of her life, ever since she was a little girl singing along with her father’s band. “I can’t even remember the name of the band,” she said. Williams plays the guitar while the pair sings, and they perform covers along with origi- nal music, too. The furthest they've traveled for a gig is At- lantic City, New Jersey. The pair performed “Who bys You Can’t Go Home?” by on Jovi. “It’s nice that there’s finally something around here for peo- ple who want to perform,” said Evans. “There should definitely VOCAL CATEGORY Michele Fromel, first place; Sarah Bilby, second place; Wendy Barbe- rio, third place INSTRUMENTAL CATEGORY Jessie and Wyatt Steltz, first place DANCE CATEGORY RJG Latino Multicultural Dancers, first place POETRY CATEGORY Miranda Bauer, first place; Mary Gilbert, second dplace BROADWAY CATEGORY Hanna Kasko, first place be some more outlets for people to show what they've got.” The girls in the RJG Latino Multicultural Dancers group, based in Wilkes-Barre, seek out ways they can express them- selves throughout the northeast. Kimmy Martinez, 13, of Wilkes-Barre, said the group was formed about four years ago to keep atrisk kids off the streets. Nine of the girls per- formed on Feb. 17, but the group is much larger. Martinez said the group makes its own costumes for per- formances. The furthest the girls have traveled for a perform- ance was to Lopez, but they've also performed at the Fine Arts Fiesta in downtown Wilkes- Barre and at King’s College. “It’s basically to show our cul- ture,” said Martinez. Kendall Mosley, 13, of Wilkes- Barre, had a bit of trouble when she first got on the stage for her audition. Technical difficulties kept her silent onstage for a few mo- ments but not long after, she was belting out the Christian hymn, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” Mosley, who has been singing since she was 7 years old, heard about the talent show through her uncle Stephen Perillo. Perillo, who's part of Making a Difference Ministries, also per- formed during the talent show with Barbara Roberts under the name BLEST. Mosley’s mother, Jaclyn, said their family is very musically in- clined, but Kendall wasn’t al- ways interested in expressing See TALENT, Page 12 Twenty-three-year-old Alecia Evans, of Dallas, and her boyfriend, 30-year-old Robert Williams, of Dallas, sing “Who Says You Can't Go Home?" by Bon Jovi. Kendall Mosley, 13, of Wilkes-Barre, performs “How Can | Stop From Singing?’ at the first-ever Back Mountain Has Talent audi- tions Feb. 17 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Dallas. SARAH HITE PHOTOS/ THE DALLAS POST Alexandra Rivera, 14, left, of Wilkes-Barre, and Kimmy Martinez, 13, of Wilkes-Barre, lead the RJG Latino Multicultural Dancers during their audition. The group, formed four years ago to keep at-risk youth off the streets, went on to win first place in the dance category. Eagle seekers unite ebruary 5 was more than Super Bowl Sunday - it was also Eagle Day at the Endless Mountains Nature Cen- ter in Tunkhannock. Nature- goers had the opportunity to en- joy a presentation by naturalist Rebecca Lesko called “A Year in the Life of an Eagle.” Wildlife photographers Jim and Joan Borden displayed their work and discussed their experiences watching bald eagles. Joe De- Marco, an expert bird watcher, helped attendees spot resident and migrant eagles at the Sus- quehanna River. Lesko also led the group in building an “eagles’ nest,” a make-and-take craft. ABOVE PHOTO: The Endless Mountain Nature Center, Tunk- hannock, was filled to capacity on Feb. 5 with people who came out to hear a lecture and see a slide presentation on bald ea- gles. RIGHT PHOTO: Nancy Stark, of Lehman, spots seven eagles flying over the Endless Moun- tain Nature Center in Tunk- hannock during a presentation about the birds. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Gas line replacement set to begin in July By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Natural gas issues were at the forefront of the board of super- visors meeting on Tuesday, as of- ficials discussed the replacement of the Transco pipeline and revis- ing its zoning ordinance. The township office received notice Tuesday from the Wil- liams-owned Transco interstate pipeline that two replacements of the line will begin in July and conclude in mid-September. Transco will replace a 2,044- foot section that runs under- neath Hildebrandt Road and a 193foot section that runs be- tween Yalick Road and Highland Boulevard. Resident Jane Tolomello asked the board whether the pipeline’s current condition poses a prob- lem to residents. “I would like to know the rea- son why, because if it’s a matter of some dangers that they're waiting until July to do — if it's a matter of a leak waiting to hap- pen — I think it would be nice for them to notify the municipality as well as the residents living nearby,” she said. Township Engineer Thomas Doughton said the company may be changing the class of the pipe, which determines the thickness. Supervisor Bill Grant said he spoke to a Williams official about the project who told him the line was tested with a smart pig, a de- vice that runs through the line to collect detailed information, in 2010 and it was deemed to be in “good condition.” Grant said the Williams engi- neer also told him the replace ment is part of standard mainte- nance on the line. “They assured me...there were no problems,” said Grant. The Transco gas pipeline runs from Texas to New York. In Dallas Township, Williams Field Services LLC recently com- pleted its 33-mile Springville Gathering Line from Susquehan- na County, which taps into the Transco. Another gas company, Chief Gathering LLC, is in the process of constructing a gathering line to connect to the Transco line lo- cated in Dallas Township. Doughton told residents the Springville project is about 95 percent complete and vegetation will be planted on the right-of- way along Sedlar Road and in other areas in late March or early April. “Theyre very sophisticated planting schedules, and ... it’s strictly for storm water con- trols,” he said. Solicitor Thomas Brennan said the township must begin restructuring its zoning ordi- See GAS, Page 12
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