® ® © | ? ? 4 Vol. 106 No. 15 By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff DALLAS TOWNSHIP - Residents of sections of Old Goss Manor told the zoning hearing board Monday they don't want a proposed fire station in their neighbor- hood. Represented by attorney Bruce Philllips, they plan to appeal the zoning hearing board's decision allowing the Dallas Fire and Ambulance Company to build a new fire station on the corner of Church and Center Hill roads. They're even willing to spearhead a Blight is peril to ‘ *gardens ( P 9 By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff BACK MOUNTAIN - There's a fungus among us, but it's no joke. A highly contagious plant fun- gus could devastate home gar- deners’ and commercial farmers’ potato and tomato crops if left unchecked, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Ag- riculture and the Penn State Agri- cultural Extension. They are warning farmers and home gar- deners who grow potatoes and tomatoes to be alert for the dis- ease on their plants. Potatoes and tomatoes are the only plants in immediate danger of infection because they're very closely related, according to Dr. Barbara Christ of Penn State. The blight is the same one that caused the Irish potato famine in 1846- 47. Symptoms are a faint, white, downy growth followed by brownish to purplish-black spots on plant leaves or stems, said Luzerne County extension agent Donna Gray. Within two weeks of infection the plants will literally rot in the See BLIGHT, pg 8 fundraising drive to help the firefighters buy land for a fire station somewhere else — anywhere else but in their back yards. Five Center Hill Road residents testified at a zoning hearing April 10. Phillips also presented a letter signed by 31 Old Goss Manor residents opposing the plan at the hearing. Preliminary plans call fora 6,800 square- foot building with three double drive- through bays to house the ambulance and firetrucks, an office and a meeting room. Objecting to the proposed fire station were Eva and David W. Ryan, Domicella and Vito Balice and David Carey. Dallas, Pennsylvania “We all appreciate the fire company — they work very hard. But we're also afraid that an accident could happen.” Eva Ryan “Realtors have told us that it will cause our property values to decrease by 25 to 30 percent,” said Carey, who lives opposite where the Center Hill Road exit would be. “I have a personal safety concern about the fire station. When I was seven years old, I lived near one and loved to visit it. When I was leaving one day, I ran out in front of a fire truck answering a call and was hit by a mail truck.” He and Mrs. Ryan said they would be interested in spearheading a community fund drive to help the fire company relo- cate elsewhere. Vito Balice said he is concerned the fire company might “be making a mistake” relocating to Center Hill Road, while his wife, Domicella, said she’s worried about the safety of the neighborhood children. April 12 thru April 18, 1995 Neighbors challenge new fire station “We don't have sidewalks,” she said. “The children walk along the road when they're going to the school bus stop and to the Little League field. There's a lot of heavy traffic on our road, especially dur- ing the morning and evening rush hours. Traffic can back up from the light on Route 309 to Church Road.” Eva Ryan called the site “a poor choice.” “We all appreciate the fire company - they work very hard,” she said. “But we're also afraid that an accident could happen. Some of the neighborhood children aren't See FIRE STATION, pg 3 Stifled soccer stars Lake-Lehman girls’ soccer co-coach Dave Elston and a trio of his players discussed strategy during a break in last week's game against Crestwood. The Knights fell 3-1 in that contest, but rebounded to top Couglin Tuesday for a 2-1 record. Joining Elston were, from left, Mary Brislin, Nikki Bouthot and Debbie White. POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK County, town try for deal on roads By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP - The supervisors made a counteroffer to Luzerne County at their regu- lar April 3 meeting in an effort to resolve an ongoing battle with the county Road and Bridge Depart- ment over upgrading and paving three roads in the Crown Hill development. If Luzerne County will bring the roads up to minimum state standards for gravel roads and pave three-fourths of the total road area, the supervisors say they will pave the remaining road area at the township's expense and as- sume responsibility for maintain- ing and plowing them. Minimum state gravel road standards are an 18-foot wide cartway covered with at least six inches of crushed stone, which county engineer Jim Brozena has estimated will cost at least $16,000. The total length of Crown, Hill and Farmview drives is approxi- mately one mile, with each road See ROADS, pg 2 » » Jordan Koslosky's tops on the board p/ By JACK HILSHER Post Correspondent SHAVERTOWN - Chess has been called a “game for nerds,” and if you don't dig the term you probably are one! (But...it's not true.) For proof, consider young Jor- dan Koslosky, age 10, of Shaver- town. Jordan is a chess player. In fact, Jordan is a terrific chess player. But he also plays soccer, a decent tennis game, baseball in Little League, likes piano and gets straight A's at Sem. Doesn't sound much like anerd does he? Well, he isn't. But a chess champ, he is. Jordan re- cently won first place in a Penn- sylvania Chess Association tour- nament in Harrisburg. To place first, he needed a fifth win, and somewhat rushed because he thought he'd be late for Little league, he dispatched his oppo- nent in only 19 moves. (In chess, this is the equivalent in boxing of anuppercutbrought up from floor level., Your opposition is gone!) Young Jordan's Dad, Ron Koslosky, who has his own real estate firm in Shavertown, recalls earlier years when Jordan was about 3 1/2 “I started teaching him and his sister Kourtney and | was able to make a move, read the paper, make another move, read ‘a magazine, and so on. One day | realized I was being pressured. | had to slow up on the reading between moves to hold my own, and then I had to quit reading entirely just to stav alive!” Jordan now attends weekly classes sponsored by the Wilkes- Barre Chess Club. His group (expenses paid by an anonymous benefactor) is taught by a chess club regular named George Trent. They are calling themselves the “Smart Alekines” (obviously teacher's idea) from Alexander Alekines, the 1929 world champ after the famous Capablanca (who Shavertown 10 year old wins chess title in Harrisburg incidentaily appeared in Wilkes- Barre years ago.) They meet from 9:30 to 11:30 Saturday mornings at the community room of Fran- klin Street's Presbyterian Church. At these sessions there is an hour of theory and an hour of competitive play. There is no noise. There is no horseplay. You can see on each face love for the game combined with an intense concentration on Trent's lesson for the day. Although Trent dur- ing the week is a claims specialist for a health care company, on Saturday morning he turns into a superb and dedicated teacher. If some future chess prodigy comes from Wyoming Valley it will be POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE PROUD FAMILY - Rhonda and Ron Koslosky and their son, Jordan, show off the medal and trophy which Jordan recently won in chess competition. George Trent's doing. At his classes you raise your hand to answer a question. And afteryou've losta game, you shake your opponents hand. Much more is learned at these classes than chess rules. “The class can handle more pupils”, Trent says. “If anyone has children interested, of any age, call me at 829-0943." He feels there may be a renaissance under way similar to the surge of interest after Bobby Fischer won his world champion title in the early seventies. Another club is in the area...at the Lehman-Jackson Elementary School, taught by Sandy Rhodes of Huntsville Road. Sandy has 30 students signed up with 20 to 25 showing up on Thursday after- noons after school. Teacher Rhodes isn’t sure about a renais- sance. “It's something different,” he says, “and that attracts them. See KOSLOSKY, pg 8 The Dallas Post has won three awards in the Keystone Press Awards contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society of Newspa- per Editors. The newspaper was awarded first place in Business & Economic News Story, second place in Feature Photo and sec- ond place in Health reporting. A package of articles about proposed state tax reform written by Ronald Bartizek and Grace R. Dove won the first place award. The feature photo winner was a photograph by Charlotte Bartizek Post wins state awards of triathletes entering the water at Harveys Lake in the 1994 Greater Wilkes-Barre Triathlon. Grace Dove won the health story award for a feature about Heidi Allen of Sweet Valley and her life after serious injuries suffered in an automobile accident. These honors bring to 13 to number. of state and national awards The Post has won since 1990, including selection as the third-best newspaper of its size in the 1993 National Newspaper Association contest. B Science more than fair Gate of Heaven School held its annual science fair last week. Photos on page 2. HW Playing hardball Dallas and Lehman boast outstanding talent. Page 9. 16 Pages 2 Sections The Dallas Post Calendar Classified 14-15 Crossword Editorials 4 Obituaries 14 School... ....c.o ks 7 SPONS 22s 5 10m 0 9,10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING MAILING LABEL- Please enclose this label with any address changes, and mail to The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612-0366
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