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8 1983 Pennaprint Inc.. All Rights Reserved. USPS 147-720
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Vol. 93, No. 43
25 Cents
|
Wednesday, November 9, 1983
By JANE C. BOLGER
Staff Correspondent
Robert Adams of Trucksville was
13 years. old last Saturday, but
unfortunately he celebrated his
birthday in the Boys Ward of Shrin-
ers Hospital where he is awaiting
major surgery.
This is the third operation Bobby
has had in his young life to correct
serious bone deformities in his legs.
He has also had surgery on his one
short arm while his other is missing
with just his hand attached to his
shoulder.
What Bobby lacks in physical
ways, though, he has more than
made up for in Spirit.
‘“He’s always got the greatest grin
has admired Bobby’s spunk since he
first saw him as a little boy trying
to sail boats in a rain puddle.
“Bobby enjoys life,” says his
mother. ‘‘He doesn’t seem to think
he has a problem. He will find his
own way to do anything.”
Anything includes riding his bike,
which Bobby did ‘to help sick
people” in the American Cancer
Bike-A-Thon last summer. Bobby
completed the 25-mile trail on ‘his
three-wheeler with help from many
well wishers, each of whom he
rewarded with one of his famous
smiles.
The big thing to Bobby was that
he did it - he rode all the way on his
beloved bicycle that has always
(See BOBBY, page 8)
By JANE C. BOLGER
Staff Correspondent
Election Day was a day off for the
Dallas School Board from the John
Gabriel hearings which have been
held Tuesday and Thursday even-
ings for over two months.
It appears now that a concerted
effort is being made to wind up the
public hearings by the end of this
month, thus leaving the final deci-
sion of Gabriel’s employment - or
unemployment - to the ‘‘old school
board’ rather than the new board
whose members will take office the
first week in December.
Plans call for additional testi-
mony this Thursday, Nov. 10, and
two days next week; Nov. 15 and
Nov. 17, with both sides due to give
their summations Nov. 21. A Special
Public Meeting of the Dallas School
Board has tentatively been sched-
uled for Monday, Nov. 28 at which
time each of the nine current board
members will vote publicly on
whether or not Gabriel should con-
tinue to be employed as Grounds
and Maintenance Supervisor for the
Dallas School District. :
Gabriel himself took the stand for
the first time last week and testified
for two sessions. It is expected he
will be cross-examined this Thurs-
day by Atty. Benjamin R. Jones,
who represents the school adminis-
tration in this case. It is unknown at
this time whether the defense team,
which is headed by Atty. Arthur
Piccone, will call additional wit-
nesses.
Immediately prior to Gabriel's
testimony, the prosecution rested its
case with the testimony of Thomas
Doughton, Smith Miller Associates
consultant to the Dallas School Dis-
trict. Doughton testified on results
of the federally funded D.R.I.LE.S.
Project specifically on work done on
the Junior High School track.
Legal transcripts of all testimony,
both prosecution and defense, has
been made available to all school
board members, many of whom
have missed one or more hearings.
It is on the basis of the testimony
they have actually heard and read-
B® 1]
ing of the transcripts that the Dallas
School Board will render its judg-
ment which need only be a majority
vote.
School Board President Dr. Wil-
liam Camp expressed the opinion
that, “It is imperative that the
present board resolve this matter] it
would not be fair te the new board
not to.”
It is expected that both the final
hearing night, Nov. 21, when the
summations will be presented at
what could be a very lengthy ses-
sion and the actual public voting
session, Nov. 28, will be well
attended by taxpayers who have
been following these marathon hear-
ings with interest.
By DOTTY MARTIN
Associate Editor
How many times have you asked
your child, “What did you learn in
school today?” Or, “What did you
do in school today?”
How many times have you gotten
a response other than ‘nothing’ to
either of those questions?
It is this lack of communication
between parents and their school-
age children that makes Dr. David
Preston, superintendent of the Lake-
Lehman School District, feel Open
Houses are valuable experiences for
both parent and child. ;
In conjunction with American
Education Week, (November 14-18),
area school districts will be ‘con-
ducting Open Houses and parent-
teacher conferences, giving parents
the opportunity to spend some time
at the place where they send their
children five days a week.
“Open Houses are not to be mis-
taken for parent-teacher confer-
ences,’ Dr. Preston explained.
“Open House is a time when the
parent can come to the school build-
ing, let the child shown them
around, meet the teachers and
make an appointment for a confer-
ence if they feel one is necessary.”
Dr. Preston added that Open
Houses should be used as a time for
familiarization and a time for par-
ents to demonstrate to their chil-
dren that they do take an interest in
“By having an early dinner, by
avoiding watching TV for a night,
by washing our hands and face and
getting dressed, and by going to our
child’s school during Open House,
we are showing our children that we
have an interest in what they're
doing,” the superintendent said.
“We can show our children that
we do care and we can discuss their
school projects with them,” he
added. ¢‘By going to the school and
seeing what our. children are doing,
we can also continue to carry on
discussions with them at home
because we are not familiar with
what they are talking about.”
Dr. Preston stressed that parents
should not use the Open House
periods as times to discuss particu-
lar problems their child may be
having.
“Open House is not the most
opportune time to discuss a child’s
problems,” he said. ‘It’s the worst
time to get to talk to a teacher
because there are so many people
around and, if a parent ties up a
teacher for a few minutes, there is a
line of other parents waiting to
speak to the teacher.
“Conferences should be private
and more personal,’ he added.
“They should be anywhere from 20
to 40 minutes long and they should
be on a one-to-one basis between the
parent and the teacher. At a private
conference, the people involved can
deal with the topics that need to be
dealt with.”
Dr. Preston encourages parents to
attend the Open House at their
child’s school and to let their chil-
dren know they are interested in
what they are doing in school.
However, he also encourages par-
ents who feel a personal conference
is necessary to arrange for such a
meeting with their child’s teacher.
“A conference is but a phone call
away,” he said. ‘‘All the parent has
to do is call the principal or the
guidance counselor at the child's
school and arrange for a conference
with the teacher.”
Dr. Preston added that parents
should not wait until there is a
problem with the child and his
school work to schedule a parent-
teacher conference, but to meet
with the child’s teacher before prob-
lems develop.
Houses:
American Education Week:
Night’’, cafeteria.
Night”, cafeteria.
sored by PTO.
presentation, first grade;
17, 2 p.m., Drug/Alcohol Abuse
p.m., Thanksgiving program,
By WALLY KOCHER
Staff Correspondent
The first of two town meetings
scheduled in an attempt to combat
drug and alcohol abuse in local
schools was well attended last week.
The second meeting, scheduled for
this evening at 7:30 at the Dallas
Junior High School, is expected to
be just as successful.
The meeting coincide with the
nationally broadcasted television
show, ‘‘The Chemical People’.
‘“The Chemical People’’ which
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
The appointment of Kenneth Wil-
liams of Bloomingdale to fill the
vacant seat of the late Vincent
Marchakitis of Region II on the
Lake-Lehman School Board came
as no surprise to most residents of
the district.
The Lake-Lehman School board
members held a special meeting
last week and appointed Williams to
the vacant seat by a 6-1 vote, with
only Allen Keiper voting against the
appointment.
Williams, a native of the Lehman
area and a graduate of Lehman-
Jackson-Ross High School, Class of
’56, had served on the board for 11%
years when he resigned last May.
“I was president of the board
when I resigned,” said Williams. ‘I
had gone through several rough
months, including Hitchcock’s resig-
nation as coach, the students walk-
out and High School Principal
James Nicholas’ death.
“It had reached a point where I
had school meetings nearly every
night or was on the phone continu-
ously with matters pertaining to the
school district.
“I am a tomato farmer and it was
the time of the year when I was
needed on the farm. Business of the
district was keeping me from my
farming, so in fairness to both my
family and the district I submitted
my resignation.”
Williams’ son and daughter grad-
uated from Lake-Lehman and
despite resigning from the board, he
continued to attend the board meet-
ings and follow the activities of the
students.
“I was chairman of the activities
committee for seven or eight
years,” said Williams. “I worked
closely with Jim Nicholas in
improving the extra-curricular
activities for the students. Our dis-
trict has come a long way in the
past decade. We can all be proud of
Lake-Lehman.”
Williams’ appointment to the
board will last only until the first
week in December when the reor-
ganizational meeting will be held.
There are two positions open in
Region II and Gilbert Tough and the
late Vincent Marchakitis’ names
are on the ballot,
5
was hosted by the first lady, Mrs.
Nancy Reagan, was televised on
WVIA-TV and has become an over-
night success.
Lynne Brown, project coordinator
of the station, said there was no
question as to whether they should
run the show or not.
nc
KEN WILLIAMS
If Marchakitis is elected, the
board will have to appoint someone
for a two-year term. The two-year
term is due to the fact that there is
no local election in a presidential
year.
Williams could be reappointed for
another two-year term under these
circumstances.
©)
“There was no way we couldn’t
run it. It’s that important,” said
Brown.
In addition to the second half of
“The Chemical People” which is
scheduled for tonight, WVIA is also
airing two local shows on the issue.
Jimmy Cefalo of the Miami Dol-
phins hosted ‘“Something’s Happen-
ing Here” last Thursday and there
will be a live call-in show with
Lynne Brown acting as moderator
for a panel of experts shown on
Thursday, Nov. 16.
The town meeting held at the
Dallas Junior High School last week
had its own panel. Rev. Lynn Roth-
rock, pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church, who served on the panel,
said those who attended the meeting
were very open to the issue.
(See DRUGS, page 8)
Inside The Post
Births
Business
Calendar
Classified
Cookbook
Obituaries ........... re
People .....x........ 6.7
Perspective ............ 41
School ................. wi 13
Sporis................ 10,11
Week in review ....... 2