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VOL. 81 NO. 42
DALLAS, PA. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1970
FIFTEEN CENTS
sewer grant okayed:
bids opened tonight
Tilly telegrams sent last week to The Dallas
Post from Senator Hugh Scott and Congressman
Dan Flood bore glad tidings for residents of the
Back Mountain area. According to Mr. Scott and
Mr. Flood, the Federal Water Quality Administra-
tion of the United States Department of Interior has
approved the long awaited $1,584,000 grant to the
Dallas Area Municipal Authority for water and
sewage facilities.
This grant brings to almost $4 million the total
funds which have been awarded to the Municipal
Authority, a sum which will go a long way toward
the system’s total estimated construction cost of
approximately $8% million.
In addition to the FWQA grant, the Authority
has alsoreceived $1,377 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development as
well as a grant of slightly more than $1 million from
the State Health Department.
The next phase of sewer planning begins to-
night with the opening of construction bids at the
Dallas Senior High School. R. Spencer Martin,
chairman of the Municipal Authority, suggests that
it will still take some time to tabulate the bids and
determine the amount of the bond bid. He expects,
however, that a break-down of costs to the individ-
- ual Back Mountain homeowner will be available
within the month.
story hours delight tots
If . voting age were lowered—to Sears of
age,Say—there’s little doubt that the question of
municipal support for the Back Mountain Library
would win unanimous approval from the Story
Hour set.
Cefptainly one of the most popular of all the
UF goal 100%
In Back Mountain
The Back Mountain division of the Wyoming
Valley United Fund was one of six divisions to
make 100 per cent or more of their quota, The Post
learned recently. There were 17 divisions in all.
The successful campaign was concluded by a
final Victory Dinner held last Thursday night at the
Hotel Sterling. Edmund H. Poggi Jr. presided at
the meeting and received the division chairmen’s
reports. The Back Mountain area was under the
direction of Mrs. Ray Turner Jr., and Mrs. H. Alex
Smith Jy.
p1e@kes totaling $1,382,318 were recorded, with
the Back Mountain division raising $11,206 of that
. amount. The United Fund’s goal this year was
$1,465,000.
library’s many community service ventures, story
hours are held each Wednesday morning from 10 to
11 under the watchful eye of Kathy Downs. Story
hours were begun first by Cadette Girl Scouts in
1966, with Saturday morning meetings attracting 30
to 40 children each week.
In response to queries at that time, librarian
Sue Davern reports, the youngsters unhesitatingly
placed stories about the Flintstones and Batman at
the top of their ‘favorites’ list.
After a short lapse of time, story hours were re-
activated with Marilyn Maslow and Carol King
sharing the honors—and work—as story ladies.
In December of 1967, the first Christmas party
was held for story hour participants. Mrs. Lee
McCarthy was story lady at that time, and gifts for
the children were delivered by a jolly ho-hoing
Santa in the form of Dick Oliver.
Kathy Downs took over as story lady during the
summer of 1968 and initiated the first Halloween
party which has become—by popular demand—a
yearly event.
In June of the following year, Mrs. Davern
made arrangements to have the story hours
become also movie times; films adapted from
(continued on PAGE FOURTEEN)
Noxen’s fire company has outgrown its present garage facilities
and its members are now hard at work building a spacious addi-
tion to their firehouse.
THE DALLAS POST—photo by James Kozemchak Sr.
Young Joseph Minichowski of Bryan Drive, Huntsville, obvious-
ly has his work cut out for him! He reminds us that youngsters
have a natural affinity for fallen leaves, and that innocent-
seeming piles of leaves by the roadside may be covering a play-
ful child. Motorists—BEWARE.
pioneer sugar-makers
blazed trail to Lehman
Few newcomers to the Back Mountain com-
munity realize just how rich the historic
background of the area is. Tales of derring-do
which sound as though they were manufactured in
a film studio turn out to be factual happenings, and
persons whose lives seem more apocryphal than
real are revealed as honest-to-goodness pioneers.
Each of the many Back Mountain communities
has its own fascinating history, complete with
courageous settlers, scuffles with the Indians, and
the day to day drudgery which hacking out a
homestead from the wilderness entailed.
Lehman Township, named in honor of Dr.
William Lehman after it separated from Dallas in
1829, had no permanent settlers until 1801. But as
early as Revolutionary War days, sugar-makers
made frequent excursions into the area, camping in
rude cabins for weeks at a time.
‘“Indian’’ Abe Pike, a bold Irishman who had
deserted from the British army, was making sugar
near what is known now as Pike’s Creek on March
28, 1780, when he was over-powered and captured
by ten Indians. His wife and child were captured,
too, and one can imagine the terror in the mother’s
heart as she watched the savages toss her child
onto the roof of their cabin. What relief she must
have felt when she returned later, having been
painted by the Indians, to discover that her child
was safe.
Pike, meanwhile, was taken by the Indians to
the mouth of the Wysox Creek, where with the help
(continued on PAGE THREE)
Noxen firemen are ‘do-it-your-selfers
All Back Mountain fire companies have certain
characteristics in common. Generally speaking,
their equipment is the same; their members are
volunteers, serving without pay; their aim is to
protect the community and individuals from fire.
Once you see past these basics, however, you find
each company has its own distinct personality.
One of the things that sets the Noxen Volunteer
Fire Company “apart is the building program
they’re in the midst of. Up to the present they have
had a building that had room for but one engine.
They own two—a 1937 G.M.C. and a 1969 G.M.C.
(both completely owned). Incidentally, the ladies
of the Auxiliary are said to “deserve a lot of credit
for the 1969 truck.”
A 24 foot by 50 foot addition to the present
structure is being built by the firemen themselves.
The outside walls are up and they hope to finish the
interior during winter months.
The addition will be used for the two trucks.
After some remodeling, the present area will be
used as a recreation hall, and when needed, as a
dining room.
Members are constructing a kitchen—to be °
used mostly by the Ladies’ Auxiliary. When the
building program is finished, the company plans to
serve suppers to help raise money.
All fire companies have to depend on projects
for fund-raising. Noxen has an auction in the
summer and a coin card drive. It might be well to
note here that Postmistress Cleona Fritz is the
{
first woman to serve as general chairman for the
auction. She and her workers, male and female, are
busy already on the 1971 public sale.
The most immediate plan for raising money is
the sale of whimpies on election day in November.
Noxen’s company is one of the few which owns
rental property. The building, which is adjacent to
the fire hall, is leased to a dress manufacturer.
Monies from these various sources will be used
eventually toward getting a third truck.
A 10-telephone fire alarm system is utilized by
the valley company. This means that when the fire
number is called, a telephone rings in each of ten
' private homes. A button on the phone permits the
person who answers to sound the siren at the fire
hall. Most volunteers then go directly to the scene
of the fire while those who drive the engines are
getting them on the way. They protect a territory
covering a 10-12 mile radius.
Men of the Lyons family are prominent in the
company’s administration. William J. Lyon is
president of the 21-year-old company. His son, John
a Lyons, is secretary—but more important, he is
fire chief. A second son, Elmer Lyons, is an
assistant chief and vice president.
Filling other- administrative positions are
Jacob Miner, treasurer; Jack Winters, Francis
Schenck, Fred Schenck, Stanley Denmon, and Earl
Richards, trustees.
Calvin Strohl and Harry Freeman are assistant
(continued on PAGE THREE)
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