. as EE - EERE A CRC Steady, now! erm er I, ies one of the Operation Rid ! wheelchair-confined person in By JOAN KINGSBURY Staff Correspondent Members of’ Operation Ride, under the direction of Georgeanne Kostenbauder, recently participated in the Metropolitan Regional Thera- peutic Games in Winslow, N.Y. This horse show for the handicapped, classes participants according to their abilities rather than their disa- bilities. Each contestant partici-. pates in one equitation and one game. : e volunteers as he assists a mounting a horse. For the first time, two local people placed in the Dressage as Robbie Ceselsky placed fifth. Shana Amos and Jane Pugh also partici- pated in the games. Field trips like those to the Metro- politan Regional Therapeutic Games are just a small part of the Operation Ride program. Operation Ride enables handicapped people, those with mental retardation, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, autism and blindness to learn how to ride a Enjoying a ride allas Post/Joan Kingsbury Ride volunteer leads the way. horse. Once a handicapped person learns how to ride, he or she can then do physical therapy on horseback. Georgeanne and her volunteers work with the rider’s physical ther- apist, to determine what exercises will be most beneficial. Exercises are geared to the patient’s age and specific problem. Making the exercises fun is one of Georgeanne’s main goals. Competi- tions between riders and volunteers are also held just to keep things Dallas Post/Ed Campbell and Stanley Sosnowski. Mausoleum started at Mt. Olivet Mt.. Olivet Cemetery, Carverton, held ground-breaking ceremonies for its new Garden Mausoleum on Sept. 16. Monsignor Constantine V. Sici- pool director of Catholic ceme- “teries, presided over the ground- breaking and blessing. Also participating in the ceremony were Donald J. Wolff, general superin- : tendent, Catholic Cemeteries; Fred Graham, superintendent, Mt. Olivet Cemetery; James Pettinato, of Pace Associates; and Carl Hilbert of Acme Marble. Mt. Olivet Garden Mausoleum is being constructed by Acme Marble & Granite Co., of New Orleans. Acme is the nation’s largest firm specializing "in cemetery develop- ment and has works in 35 states. The new mausoleum will contain 384 crypt spaces, according to Msgr. *. Sicinolfi, and is the first phase of a multiple phase development. “Mt. Olivet’s new Garden Mauso- eum will be a fine addition to the burial options already available here for Catholic families,” Msgr. ~ Sicinolfi noted. HONDA ATC ATC® 110 9 Models From Which To Choose 82's-83's-84's Bank Financing HONDA NORTHEAST Rt. 6 Scranton | 347-9436 | UNLIMITED 501 Main St., Swoyersville (At The Harry E. Breaker) And 6 to 9 Evenings 287-3111 B SAVES YOU MONEY Cc C JOIN US THE UHI LEADER IS _¢ TE USED CARS Ystor 268-0319 NEW CARS “oven 287-2117 chance interesting. Handicapped riders gain better coordination and bal- ance from riding, and have a lot of ‘fun doing it. Georgeanne currently has 15 people riding regularly at Denter’s Farm in Kunkle. Riders come from as far away as Shickshinny and Hazleton. Ages range from 414 to 35 with some 60-year-olds attending the field trips. For handicapped adults, Operation Ride is a social project, one of the few available that they _ can participate in themselves. Georgeanne, a day-care mother, organized Operation Ride after seeing an article about this type of project in the newspaper. She was a senior at Penn State University. at the time, majoring in animal sci- ence. Since she loves animals and had enjoyed volunteer work with the handicapped, Georgeanne wanted an activity that would combine the two. Although the group began with borrowed horses, . Operation Ride now boasts one horse and three trained to accept ramps, wheel chairs and braces necessary for some riders. According to Georgeanne, ‘‘A small core of dedicated volunteers add a lot to Operation Rides pro- gram. They help the riders in get- ting on and off the horses, hold competitions with them, teach them games and make them feel real good about themselves.” panto Back Mountain PAK is planning the following programs, acitivities and projects for 1983-84: 1. A communications workshop has been scheduled for Sunday Oct. 9, from 1:30-5:30 at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Dallas. Mr. Ron Gaetano will run this workshop, which will be open to a maximum of twenty families with children in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. This workshop is aimed at the stress and factors which contribute to the communication conflicts between parents and teens. There will be a $10. per family fee. If you are interested in this workshop, please send your check to Back Mountain PAK, Box 171, Dallas, before October 1. 2. A “Drugs in the Family” series was tentatively scheduled for this fall, but has been npostponed due to a nationwide effort entitled ‘‘Chemi- cal People” which is described later in this letter. “Drugs in the Family’? is a five-week course which is being offered to students to learn together about the use and misuse of drugs in today’s society. Please contact PAK if you would be interested in having this series re- scheduled. If there is enough inter- est, we will schedule it for later in the year. 3. In April of 1984, PAK is plan- ning ‘an all-day drug and alcohol seminar with a variety of speakers with expertise in the various aspects involved in teenage drinking and drug use. A schedule will be published in the newspapers so that interested persons may attend the portion of the seminar in which they are most interested. 4. PAK is also interested in having programs, speakers and films available in the schools throughout the year. 5. PAK is participating in a nationwide program entitled “Chemical People’ which is being aired on WVIA-TV. This is a unique outreach project designed to com- bine the impact of television with the power of community action. In an effort to confront school-age drug abuse in communities across Amer- ica, two one-hour PBS network broadcasts will be presented on Nov. 2 and 9. In conjunction with the first broadcast, concerned citi- zens and parents will gather with their negihbors in a town meeting to watch the program and to discuss their community’s problems with drugs and alcohol and possible solu- tions. Before leaving, it is hoped that the group will agree to meet the next week to watch the second program and aid PAK in its efforts as a community task force. 6. PAK has been instrumental in promoting a self-concept program entitled ‘“Here’s Looking at You, Two” in the Dallas elementary and Sak intermediate schools. A cash dona- tion toward the cost of this curricu- lum is being presented to the Dallas School « District and the Lake- Lehman School District which is “Here’s Looking at You, Two’’ deals with information on drugs, decision making and coping and is geared to the age level of the child. PAK has . scheduled a Parent’s Night on Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dallas Junior the Luzerne-Wyoming County Drug and Alcohol Council will give a - presentation on this program at that time. Several teachers who will be teaching these. classes will also be available to show interested parents a sample of the materials being used in the curriculum. : 7. Representatives from PAK have been in contact with the Dallas Junior High regarding a parent organization, which the organization feels could be instrumental in pro- viding parent involvement within the school rather than losing touch with our youth at such a crucial time of their lives. 8. Representatives from PAK have also discussed school dances with school officials from Dallas and the possibility of chaperoning. the dances. PAK has stressed an interest in having activities at thes- chool with parents or other adults helping to chaperone. If this would be possible, the organization needs as chaperones. date have been with Dallas only, however, the group is interested in having programs and activities in Lehman also, but needs more become involved with PAK. 10. People are needed to help come up with alternative activities for the youth of this area. PAK would like to form an ‘Activities Committee’’ to schedule tourna- ments, dances, marathons, etc. Per- committee. 11. PAK is interested in publishing a newsletter to be sent out three or four times a year. This newsletter would give Back Mountain residents interested in PAK an updated as well as other bits of information pertaining to youth. Someone with some time and talent who is willing to get involved is needed to coordi- nate the newsletter. 12. Publicity people and typists are also needed. Please let the are interested in any of the areas listed. There are many phases where PAK can get involved, however, interested people are needed as volunteers. REG. PRICE i697 $39 HOURS: TUES-FRI 12:00 to 8 PM SAT. 10-5PM CLOSED MONDAY LADIES SHORTS! 185 Simpson Street Swoyersville, PA (formally PACKARD OUTLET) PHONE: 283-1513 Pr fos « mi Pe a