FROM.
PILLAR TO POST
By Mrs. T. M.
B. Hicks, Jr.
®
D arias Post
MORE THAN A NEWSPAPER, A COMMUNITY INSTITUTION
D
DA
A
ROSS
Stockings hanging limply on the chimney breast, star-trimmed Christ- Vol. 61, No. 51
mas tree, three camels marching across the mantel piece above the leap-
ing flames, the scent of pine and balsam in the air, the crackle of tissue
paper, the soft gleam of tinsel, scarlet holly berries, the waxy pearls of
mistletoe, the bayberry candles in the window, the yellow square of light
ao.
-—
on the fresh fallen snow—
Christmas again.
Christmas with its carols, Christ-
mas with its cheer, Christmas
from the belfries, Christmas in the
hearts of little children, Christmas
in the love of happy families, Christ
mas in happy remembrance of van-
ished childhood.
We remember sho. Christos
was a leisured time, when gifts
were less pretentious and confined
to members of the immediate fam-
ily; when the stocking was the
focus of attention. It was when
the stocking began to overflow, we
think, that Christmas lost some
of its peculiar essence.
Mamma was never too hurried on
Christmas Eve to sit quietly on the
edge of the bed and draw a word
picture of the Babe in the Manger.
She spoke softly of the weary
Mother and her anxious husband.
Her voice trembled when she said
that there was no room at the
inn.
The warm breath of the stable
enveloped us as Joseph guided the
Virgin Mary across the hard packed
floor to a remote corner beyond
the drowsing cattle and found clean
straw for her bed. We drew a
sigh of relief when we knew that
she could rest and that the Holy
Child would have a manger for
His bed.
Always we were afraid that the
darling little Child would be born
too soon, before the safe harbor
of the stable was reached. We
followed the little family on its
journey through the night with
bated breath, knowing that the
blazing star would end our fear,
but yet fearing.
When the shepherds saw the
great light and were sore afraid,
we knew that all was well. The
Child was born. The shepherds
would kneel again before the
manger, bringing their simple gifts.
The Wise Men, barbaric in their
splendid trappings of gold and prec-
ious stones, would offer their riches
to the King.
And Herod would search for Him,
but in vain.
The Holy Child was in good
hands. His father and His mother
would take care of Him, just as
our father and mother took care of
us.
We drifted “off to sleep, Secure
in love.
Hold Christmas Party
The Youth Temperance Council
of Luzerne County held its monthly
meeting as a Christmas Party held
in the Luzerne Methodist Church.
There was singing of Christmas Car-
ols, games and a lunch served
afterwards. The girls exchanged
gifts among the girls, and the boys
among the boys.
Those attending were: Ron Lam-
oreux, Spercer Holmgrem, Billy
Weidner, Don Weidner, Bob Achuff,
Shirley Baroody, Harold Carini,
Harold Gramly, Mrs. Samuels, Al-
berta Nichols, Mrs. Loren Keller.
Loraine Keller, Roxie Hoover,
William Naugle, Frank S. Prutz-
man, Lloyd Smith, Mrs. Ralph
Gramley, Mrs, J. La Mas, Beverly
Hampton, Nancy Rex, Marylou
Rambus, Jan McLaughlin, James
Rex, Dan’ Yanchums, Richard Ham-
pton, Beatrice Thomas, Wm. H. Da-
vies, Doris Stroud, Shirley Bloom.
Jane McElwee, Wilma Clark,
Shirley Welsh, Dorothy Meade, Da-
vid Whitney, Claine Gramley, Con-
nie Engler, Mrs. H. Schroder, Mau-
rice Lamoreux, William Cease,
Move To West Dallas
Mr. and Mrs, Robert C. Rine-
heimer, and son Robert Jr. have
moved into their recéntly com-
pleted ranch house in West Dallas.
Shavertown Police Injured Within
Moving Ahead ¢
BOB GROSE
Bob Grose, Main St. Dallas, who
played professional “baseball for
the past three ‘years in the Class
D. Mountain States League has
been drafted by the West Palm
Beach Club of the (Class B Florida-
International League. This move
represents a bang advancement for
Bob as the Florida International is
one of the top Class B. leagues in
the country,
Bob has been due for an ad-
vance for three years as he played
top flight ball in his first year
when he broke into organized ball
with the Penington “Miners” in
the Mountain States League.
Bob batted .310 in his first sea-
son and was chosen on the league's
All-Star team. Although numerous
offers were made Penington
wished to keep its valuable short-
stop and for the second year in a
row Bob made the league's 'All-
Star nine. It was this 'year that he
broke the standing league record
by obtaining 121 walks in one sea-
son.
Last year Bob again played out
standing ball, batting 277 and
turning: in’ his usually shary game
afield. For the third straight year
he was chosen on ‘the All-Star
squad. Bob, a shortstop, is under a
working agreement with the Phila-
delphia Athletics
Bob was signed up in 1948 while
playing in an All-Star game in Ar-
tillery Park, Kingston. He was a
member of the championship Dal-
las Legion team at the time. Bob
is a graduate of Dallas Borough
High School where he starred in
both basketball and baseball. Bob
is keeping in shiape in the off sea-
son by playing basketball as
player-manager of the Huntsville
Christian team in the Back Moun-
tain Church-Community League.
Wins Appeal On Fine
A. J. Cadwalder, Trucksville, RD
1, a railroader, convicted and fined
$100 by a Swoyersville Justice of
the Peace for a Game Law viola-
tion committed in Sullivan County,
won an appeal in Luzerne County
Court this week, He claimed the
Justice refused to hear testimony
in his behalf. Judge John J. Apon-
ick allowed the appeal.
Legion Kid's Party
All children of the community
are invited to attend the Christ-
mas Party at Daddow Isaacs Post
home Saturday between 6:30 and 8.
There will be favors and refresh-
ments.
Forty-Eight Hours Of Each Other
Kingston Township Supervisor I.
R. Elston is guarding the Center
Street intersection with the main
highway in Shavertown, having as-
sumed duties Monday morning in
the absence, by injury, of the two
officers normally assigned to Sha-
vertown police duty.
Charles Metzger, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Metzger, Pioneer Ave-
nue, Shavertown, who had carried
the load since Louis Banta's in-
jury on Friday, struck a telephone
pole head on after a skid on the
‘ice at Birch Grove, and was admit-
ted to the Nesbitt Hospital Sunday
night at 8.
Constable Louis Banta broke his
left wrist Friday evening at 6:30
while assisting a motorist to get
his car out of a ditch. Dr. Charles
Perkins drove Banta tc the Nesbitt
for X-Rays and treatment.
Metzger, thrown from his car by
the impact, was rushed to the hos-
pital by a passing motorist. Exam-
ination showed several broken
ribs, lacerations of the face, and in-
jury to one leg with possible frac-
ture. His parents hope that he will
be home for Christmas.
Banta is really crippled from his
injury, for it was the left hand he
depended upon, the right one hav-
ing been seriously injured during
service in World War II
With neither hand in good con-
dition, he is stymied in his project
of painting children’s toys for dis-
tribution at Christmas. The weath-
er, requiring the services of volun-
teers from the Rod and Gun Club
to assist State Police in patrolling
the highways, is another handicap.
Members have volunteered to paint
toys in their spare time, but now
it appears that nobody has any.
But, Banta says, the toys will get
painted and repaired somehow or
other, though folks will have to
take them home to work on, as the
former Hall drugstore building
where they are being collected is
unheated.
Lou says it’s lucky he got his
buck while hunting on Thursday,
as he was in no shape to try for a
doe on Saturday.
John E. Vavrek
Listed As POW
Reported Missing
Over A Year Ago
Mrs. Alma Vavrek, Demunds,
was given a wonderful Christmas
present late Wednesday night
when she learned that her son,
Corp. John F. Vavrek, missing in
Korean action since November 30,
1950, is a prisoner of the Reds in-
stead of dead.
For over a year ‘she has lived
from day to day, hoping for news.
When prisoner of war lists were
released, her son's name was
among ten regional boys held pri-
soner, some of them formerly re-
ported as dead.
Jack Vavrek dropped out of Dal-
las Township School at the begin-
ning of his junior year in 1949,
enlisting almost immediately. He
had been a member of the football
squad and was among the cheer-
leaders, according to Raymond
Kuhnert, Supervising Principal.
A. A. Moore brought the news
to Mrs. Vavrek.
Jack has two sisters, Betty Ann
and Barbara, and a brother, Carl.
Tuesday's Storm
Slows Business
Highway Traffic
Brought To Standstill
Tuesday’s storm, bringing traffic
in the Back Mountain to a virtual
standstill, was a prevue of winter.
Coupled with the zero weather of
Saturday and Sunday nights, it
was an indication of what January
and February have in store, in
spite of woolly bears’ prediction of
a mild winter.
Harter’s Dairy Made its de-
liveries, but many of them late.
Snow started about one hour after
the trucks left, increasing in vio-
lence. Milk, received in the main
from Sweet Valley and Beaumont
over main travelled highways, came
to the plant without too much de-
lax, The new sDodge truck, en-
closed, kept most of the milk from
freezing while en route.
Mrs. Boyd Dodson, on her way
to drive a car for a Kingston fun-
eral, set up an all-time record of
three hours from Huntsville Cor-
ners to Hillside, putting on chains
at Hillside and starting for home
again.
Huntsville ' hill was lined with
cars unable to make the grade.
Rev. Frederick Moock drove to
Scranton Tuesday afternoon and
reported many cars off the road.
His own car was making heavy
weather, but with chains he had
no real trouble.
Goodleigh Farm sent its Fordson
tractor out to plow the road at
11:30 Tuesday night and again at
4:30 Wednesday morning, so that
a truckload of Guernsey milk might
get through to the Dallas Dairy for
processing on schedule, Mary Weir,
farm manager, reported eighteen
inches in most places, twenty-four
in the drifted spots. Said she was
glad no cow freshened during that
night, as the maternity barn was
separated from the house by over-
the-boot drifts.
Trouble-shooters for the Com-
monwealth Telephone Company re-
port no trouble from the heavy
snowfall, but a number of frost-
breaks due to zero weather earlier
in the week. Service trucks, heavy
and equipped with chains, had no
trouble making the rounds. House-
bound folks, however, caused a
traffic jam on the wires by making
call after call. '
ed on Page Eight)
SR
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1951
8 Cents Per Copy—12 Pages
Newly Renovated and Furnished Sec ond Grade Room At Dallas Township
Firemen Get
New Fire Truck
Trucksville Company
Will Hold Big Dinner
Trucksville Fire house is shelter-
ing the latest thing in fire trucks
for rural communities.
The new fire truck, ordered in
August, was delivered on Sunday
afternoon, bringing in its 500 gal-
lon tank a full load of St. Lawrence
River water to mingle with that of
Toby's Creek.
Scheduled to arrive on Saturday
from Clayton, N. Y., it ran into a
blizzard near Syracuse, and the
driver, Robert Phillips, broke’ the
icy trip in Binghamton.
Upon arrival it was inspected by
Vought © Long, = Trucksville Fire
Chief; Bob Williams, assistant; Don
Finney, president of ‘the fire com-
pany; Edward Johnson, engineer;
and Jack Richardson, who supplied
the chassis at cost.
Tested before leaving Elmira, it
delivered 500 gallons ‘per minute
without pushing, 957 under 800
pounds pressure per square inch.
Tested upon arrival in Trucksville
under zero conditions, the pumper
was found up to specifications, de-
livering a normal volume of 500
gallons per minute,
At low pressure the tank of 500
gallons is equal to 5,000 at high
pressure and will last for half an
hour.
The American-Marsh pump is
four stage, with pressure varying
on demand. A supplementary por-
table booster: pump is carried in
the rear, for use in the event of
steep creek banks or to draw lake
water. There is additional space
for extra containers of water. The
ladder is a twenty-four foot ex-
tension.
The chassis was equipped by the
W. J. Lawless Company, Elmira,
dealers for the American Fire Ap-
paratus Company in Clayton.
Vought Long, Fire Chief, drove
the chassis to Clayton in September
for outfitting.
The truck is all paid for except
for $1600 still outstanding but cov-
ered by pledges. Total cost was
$10,000.
The original fire truck, a 1931
Dodge, which cost $3,300, has been
stationed in the Kingston Township
Supervisors Garage, within easy
reach of Trucksville Gardens, Bun-
Kozemchak
Primary Grade Rooms At Township
Are Refurnished In Modern Manner
®
Lt. Guthrie Conyngham
Has Leave From Hospital
Lt. Guthrie Conyngham is home
for the holidays on a thirty day
leave from the Naval Hospital in
Philadelphia. His mother, Mrs. Wil-
liam Conyngham, of Hillside Farms
and 130 S. River Street, expected
him home by ambulance on Wed-
nesday, but due to condition of the
roads following Tuesday's storm,
the trip was made by sleeper, with
a local ambulance meeting the
train on Thursday at 1 A. M.
Guthrie, = seriously injured in
Korea, has his leg in a cast. He will
return to the Naval Hospital for
further treatment at the expiration
of his leave.
His brother, Jack, who narrowly
missed seeing him in Korea, is still
at the fighting front.
Pic. Franklin Malkemes
‘Is Buried On Monday
Funeral services were held Mon-
day morning for Pfc. Franklin C.
Malkemes Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs.
Franklin C. Malkemes Sr. of Carey
Ave.,” Wilkes-Barre. Frank and his
family are former residents of Sha-
vertown.
He was killed in action in Korea
September 11, 1951 while serving
with the U. S. Marines.
On Radio Committee
R. E. Wright, RD 2; Sheldon Mo-
sier 1, and Ralph Hosler, Berwick,
have been appointed to the Rural
Radio Network's advisory commi-
ttee which keeps the farmer-
owned broadcasting system in-
formed on Ways to improve its ser-
vice.
ker Hill, and the new housing de-
velopment.
A dinner is planned for January
4 in the Fire Hall, with Vought
Long guest of honor. Two hundred
guests are expected, including
chiefs and assistants of all local
fire companies, and in addition
those from Wilkes-Barre and King-
ston; members of the Trucksville
Fire Company; and officers of the
Back Mountain Fire Company As-
sociation,
Fire Chief Vought Long Takes Delivery of New Fire Truck
Reading from left to right: L. L. Richardson shaking hands with Vought Long, Trucksville Volunteer
Fire Company Chief; Edward Johnson, and Harry O wens.
Photo by Kozemchak
Plans for progressive moderniza-
tion of classrooms in Dallas Town-
ship School, which were voted upon
by the school directors four years
ago, have become a reality with the
completion of four primary class-
rooms. Installation of beautiful, up-
to-date chairs and desks for the four
classrooms was completed last week-
end.
Modern fluorescent lighting, de-
signed by General Electric, was in-
stalled last summer, and the walls
and wood-work of all rooms are
done in a pastel shade of light green
for ceilings and walls, in contrast
with dark green for the woodwork,
The new furniture was purchased
from Kurtz Brothers, Clearfield, ‘who
were low bidders. It is. blond in
color, and of sturdy construction.
In the years prior to jointure with
Franklin Township, the [School Board
achieved many of its goals; chief
among them the establishment of a
cafeteria, the second in operation in
the Back Mountain; erection of a
large dining-room for students and
faculty; purchase of tables wand
benches for the room; installation
of new boys’ and girls’ showers and
locker rooms; a storage room for
cafeteria foods, and purchase of
metal chairs for auditorium and
installation of wire fence around
the athletic field.
Under joint-board operation,
funds have been made ‘available
to start a program of modernizing
classrooms. It is hoped that more
classrooms can be modernized next
summer. In addition, a program
for establishing a play area with
latest playground equipment, has
been carried out by the directors
working jointly with the PTA.
The playground adjacent to the
school parking area has been in
operation since late summer. Two
separate purchases of playground
equipment have been made, and
have been installed in addition to
equipment transferred from the
athletic field. Next spring and sum-
mer, there will be a program of
supervised play for children of all
ages, and a playground instructor
will be employed.
Members of Dallas-Franklin Town-
ship Joint School Board are: Don-
ald J. Evans, president; John W.
Perry, vice president; George V.
Dymond, secretary; Stephen N.
Davis, Thomas Earl, Floyd Chamber-
lain, Daniel R. Richards, Harold
Lewis, Thomas S. Moore and Rus-
sell Race. Raymond E. Kuhnert
is supervising principal, and Jona-
than C. Valentine is solicitor.
Ronald Doll Wins
Degree At Columbia
Ronald C. Doll, son of H, Stanley
Doll, Dallas, has won his doctorate
in Education at Columbia Univer-
sity, specializing in school super-
vision and curriculum development.
A former principal of Dallas Bor-
ough and Dallas Township, he is
at present administrative assistant
in West Orange schools, in charge
of curriculum and guidance.
He is a member of part-time
teaching staff at New York Uni-
versity, and is coordinator of the
West Orange curriculum project
sponsored by the Horace Mann-
Lincoln Institute of School Experi-
mentation, Teachers College, Co-
lumbia,
A graduate of Wyoming Semin-
ary and holder of three degrees at
Columbia, he has taught courses
in education at Hunter and Ursala.
Back Mountain Highway Deaths and
KINGSTON ~ TOWNSHIP
_ MONROE TO
BOX SCORE
Serious Accidents Since V-J Day
Killed
18
10
N
Holiday Mail
Sets Record
Volume Larger
Than Last Year
Dallas Postmaster, Joseph Pol-
acky, reports that both incoming
and outgoing mail this holiday sea-
son are heavier than last year’s
record load. He attributes this
mainly to increase in population of
widespread rural carrier routes.
With three regular and two Star
Route carriers on the job, mail still
stacks up. Tuesday's storm further
delayed = deliveries, with carriers
unable to cover part of the terri-
tory.
A large room at the rear of Dix-
on’s Market, quarters formerly oc-
cupied by the Country Dress Shop,
has been set up with pigeon holes
for the use of rural carriers in
sorting mail, a measure which
eases congestion in the main post-
office. Mail has to be carried back
and forth across the alley in cor-
rugated boxes, an inefficient plan.
Mr. Polacky says that Dallas
postoffice is rated a high second
class, but that with the opening of
the new Commonwealth Telephone
Building and consequent increase
in mail receipts, it will be well over
the line into first class rating.
Sales of stamps have been far in
excess of those of last holiday sea-
son.
With expanded facilities, the
postmaster says, the holiday load
could be handled without trouble.
What we need, says Mr. Polacky,
is a new postoffice building, one
large enough to care for the needs
of a steadily expanding community.
He adds that much time could
be saved if residents on rural
routes would impress upon their
correspondents the necessity of in-
cluding route number in the ad--
dress. Most letters and many pack-
ages, he says, come to the office
addressed to Dallas, with no iden-
tifying number.
Area Schools Closed
Early In Tuesday's Storm
School busses were not as much
delayed by fiTuesday’s storm as
supervising principals expected. All
schools were dismissed early, with
Dallas Borough Kindergarten ses-
sions cancelled by telephone for the
afternoon. ‘
Dallas Township reported not
much delay in delivery of pupils
except on the back roads such as
Lake Catalpa. Students got to
school Wednesday morning on time,
in the main, with the bus from
Carverton Grange area half an hour
late. Intersections were the only
difficulty, says Raymond Kuhnert,
Supervising Principal, with not
enough snow removed to permit
swinging of a long school bus,
Dallas Borough, Kingston Town-
ship schools dismissed at 1:30, with
no difficulty experienced.
Lehman-Jackson dismissed at 2,
with busses ‘encountering no dif-
ficulties, and all students on time
Wednesday morning.
Beaumont had more trouble from
Monday's zero weather than from
Tuesday's storm, with one bus re-
fusing to start and students trans-
ported in private ears.
Lake-Noxen dismissed at 2 PM
Tuesday, cancelled school sessions
for Wednesday.
Harveys Lake Freezes
Over Wednesday Night
Harveys Lake, according to re-
ports of residents, including Frank
Jackson and Fred Swanson, is
frozen over for the first time this
year, with only a few open spots
in the middle,
“Lucky it froze after instead of
before the big storm”, somebody
said.
“We're going to have plenty of
snow on the new ice anyhow.. It's
white right now”, replied Chief
Swanson.
That was on Thursday at press
time, with the snow coming down
again, harder and harder.
Community Tree Planted
By Mrs. Amanda Yaple
The beautiful blue spruce tree
used for the community Christmas
tree in the center of Dallas was
planted by Mrs. Amanda ¥Yaple in
the yard of her home, now Roy Ver-
faille’s home, on Church street,
eighteen years ago.
The tree, along with three others
that still stand in the yard, was a
mail order job that cost 10c.
The trees, now full grown, were
so crowded that Roy offered one
to the village as a gift from the
American Legion.
Election Postponed
Tuesday’s storm forced the post-
ponement of the annual Meeting
and election of officers of Prince
of Peace Auxiliary,