The Dallas Post
Dallas, PA Wednesday December; 1992 3
Unique drums bring special honor | to band
‘By GRACE R. DOVE
Post Staff
~ Lake-Lehman High school’s
marching garbage cans and brake
drums brought home a sixth
consecutive District I1
championship and a special trophy
‘for the best percussion section in
last month's Tournament of Bands.
Marching garbage cans? Brake
‘drums? In a high school band?
These were included in a group
of improvised instruments which
“band director Edward Richards
designed as part of a novelty
percussion selection for the
competition.
“I'wanted to create a large, novel
percussion selection involving the
entire band, while experimenting
with different and unique musical
sounds,” Richards said.
“Many band members were
‘skeptical at first,” said percussion
‘section leaders Johanna Miller and
Jay McCarroll. “Some of them were
upset that they had to play
inggrovised percussion
in ents instead of their regular
brass or woodwinds.”
Miller and McCarroll were rather
concerned; as section leaders, it's
their responsibility to see that each
student knows his or her part
perfectly for the performance. Many
band members had never played
percussion and had to start with
the basics.
. And in addition to the usual
§amploment of assorted drums,
chimes and xylophones, band
members had to learn to play jingle
poles (an assortment of little bells
attached to a long pole), garbage
cans, tambourines and brake
drums (two from a Pontiac and two
from a Volkswagen.)
“The hardest part was teaching
the other students how to play
these things. Once it came together,
it was lots of fun,” Miller said. “But
we often wondered how we would
ever do it.”
Improvised instruments and
drums aren't exactly new to the
world of music; for examaple, steel
drums made from 50-gallon drums
are popular in the Carribbean.
Miller's and McCarroll’s
experience, dedication and sense
of responsibility had prompted
Richards to appoint them
percussion section leaders for the
1992-93 school year.
Packing and moving percussion
instruments can be challenging,
since they range in size from the
small triangles on up to the king-
size bass drum and four tympanis
(“kettle drums”). And the garbage
cans.
“There's lots of stress; it's a big
responsibility,” Miller said.
“Because we're in charge of the
section, it's our responsibility if
the performance doesn't go right.”
“But it's worth it. I've learned to
work with others under pressure,
to be patient. I've matured,”
McCarroll said.
Both Miller and McCarroll
credited instrumental instructors
Dave Gambel and Ed Telecky with
helping to teach the students their
parts and perform so well.
Johanna Miller plays bassoon
and saxophone in addition to
percussion, and is a manager of
the brass choir. She has
represented Lake-Lehman in
district and regional bands and
district orchestra and is on the
girls’ basketball team.
Jay McCarroll also manages the
brass choir; he plays bass drum in
the marching band and tympaniin
concertband and district band. He
was a member of the Indoor Color
guard for three years and has
helped to design costumes for the
school play, color guard and Indoor
Guard.
The award-winning novelty
percussion selection was also
featured at the colorful pre-game
show at Lake-Lehman's
homecoming game under the
lights, where colorful silks and
costumes complemented the
music's “Arabian Nights” theme.
And how do brake drums and
marching garbage cans sound?
Properly played, a garbage can
sounds similar to a zippy, metallic
version of a snare drum. And the
brake drums, both Pontiac and
Volkswagen, remind the listener of
a blacksmith's hammer striking
an anvil.
NOVELTY INSTRUMENTS — Lake: Lehman band members Johanna Miller and Jay McCarroll Show :
off percussion instruments improvised from a garbage can and a brake drum, which were used in
addition to the standard drums in a novelty selection at the Tournament of Bands competition. (Post
Photo/Grace R. Dove)
Lake-Lehman taxpayers oppose child care program
Bone R. DOVE
Post Staff
. The president of the Lake-
Lehman Taxpayers’ Association
says he gave the school board a
letter opposing the district's new
before-and after-school day-care
program after its regular meeting
in November.
© But neither school board
president Liz Sichler nor
superintendent Nancy Davis recall
seeing it.
. Taxpayers’ Association
pgyident Alan Moss said that he
g the letter to Mrs. Sichler in
person, as required by the Public
School Code.
{ was not in the group of letter
h ’ Mr. Moss game me. I opened
all of the association's letters and
read them at the board table that
night,” Mrs. Sichler said. “Possibly
they thought that they put it with
the others, or maybe it was lost.”
. Mrs. Davis said that the first she
heard of the letter was when she
was contacted by The Post for
comments on it. She said that she
located a copy which had been
‘published by another local
newspaper.
+ The letter criticizes the district's
adling of a state-subsidized
Pre-and after-school day care
‘program now operating at the
-Lehman-Jackson and Lake-Noxen
elementary schools, where 17 and
15 students respectively attend the
after-school session.
In the letter, the association
asked the following questions:
o If the day-care program has
been funded by a state grant, why
is this money not considered an
expense to the taxpayers?
Mrs. Davis replied that when
she made her original statement
that the day-care program would
operate at no cost to the taxpayers,
she meant that the program would
not add any outlays to the district's
budget.
“I thought that the taxpayers
understood that. Of course the
state grant that funds this program
is taxpayers’ money from
Harrisburg,” Mrs. Davis said.
“These © funds, »from the
Department of Education and the
Department of Public Welfare, are
available to be used by all eligible
taxpayers in the state. Lake-
Lehman was one of 11 school
districts eligible for the before-and
after-school day-care program.”
e Why were no bids publicly
solicited for the day-care provider?
Mrs. Davis responded that the
diistrict has never had to solicit
bids for special grants from the
Department of Education.
Wee Care and Little People were
the only two available day-care
providers, according to a study of
:Dallas school board elects officers
“The Dallas school board announced the following officers at its
. «reorganization meeting Monday, December 7:
.» John Cleary, president.
*e Mrs. Ellen Nagy, vice-president.
.e John George, West Side Tech board.
Scommities chairpersons will be announced at a later date, according
‘ to superintendent Gerald Wycallis.
: Lake-Lehman school board reorganization
. The Lake-Lehman school board elected the following officers at its
© reorganization meeting Tuesday, December 1:
+e Dr. Martin McMahon, president.
© « Tom Williams, first vice-president.
+e Mrs. Sue Dobash, second vice-president.
. » Ken Williams, West Side Technical School board.
* Committee chairmen included Ed Kern, buildings and grounds; Jefl
« &itzen, transportation; Dr. John Presper, curriculum and instruction;
i veo “Red” Jones, athletics and activities; Sue Dobash and Liz
* Sichler, legislative representatives to the Pennsylvania School Boards
+ Association.
>
Golf Clubs
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pd ©
©
»
Bowling Pins
4 & 2 &
A & 8 & 4 & & 8 & 4
Stuff their stockings with
all made with the finest chocolate
from
Worthington Chocolate Shoppe
25 Dallas Shopping Center
675-7141
Shop early to assure Availablity
Tennnis Racquets
Tas
Bears
Soldier,
Mice
Gold Coins
experienced, certified day-care
providers conducted by
Community Services for Children
for several area school districts,
Mrs. Davis said.
Because Little People couldn't
guarantee being ready tostart when
the school year began and Wee
Care could, Wee Care was selected.
“If we hadn't used Wee Care, we
would have missed obtaining the
grant,” she said.
e If a privately-owned business
is operating on school property,
are the taxpayers paying for
utilities?
Since custodial personnel are
always working in the buildings
while the day-care program is
operating, the lights and heat are
always on anyway, Mrs. Davis said.
Custodians have scheduled their
work so that the day-care area is
the last to be cleaned.
Even during vacations or when
school isn't in session, the lights
and heat are on while custodians
doing maintenance or repair work
in the buildings, she said.
« In case of accidents, could the
district be held liable?
Mrs. Davis said that Wee Care
has its own liability insurance.
District solicitor Peter Savage
had told the taxpayers’ association
at the October 13 school board
meeting that Lake-Lehman School
District is fully covered by liability
insurance.
“We don't feel that the school
district should be socializing the
community. If a day care center
wants to operate here, let them
come to Lehman and find their
own place to operate a business,”
Moss said. “The taxpayers should
not have to become involved in the
operation of a private business.
We have enough problems.”
“This letter is definitelyan attack
on the superintendent for her
efforts to bring a needed service to
the community,” Mrs. Sichler said.
Mrs. Davis pointed out that
Lehman-Jackson and Lake-Noxen
schools have been open evenings
and weekends for several years for
the use of Brownie, Girl Scout and
Cub Scout activities, without any
question of liability insurance.
“I see this program as helping to
provide a safe, secure place for
children under 12 years of age to
be after school,” Mrs. Davis said.
“It's not just a baby-sitting service.
In addition to learning activities,
the children also do their
homework.”
She added thal parents must
qualify for the service under state
income guidelines and either be
working orin job training programs
during these hours.
Lake Twp. taxes due December 15
Ruth Orloski, Lake Twp. Tax Collector, advises taxpayers that the
last day to pay all 1992 Property and Per Capita taxes is December 15,
1992. After that date all property taxes will be returned to the Tax Claim
Bureau, Luzerne County Court House, as delinquent. Additional costs
will be added.
Unpaid Per Capita taxes will be turned over to Berkheimer Assoc. for
collection with additional costs being added also.
Starting from $27,930.”
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