A a EH TE Liye. NENBENES) WEIR ss 7 3 » x | ® : | ! | | a : *® > \ < A > y & ph © ® b ¥ ¥ | E. J ™ i i Bh ab) 7d FR “NS es oa The Dallas Post Vol. 106 No. 27 opr! =r T pt > 0) & y w 4 fn =i ! THURS.-SUNDAY Huntsville Road, Dallas i § Antiques 8 | 67814) Be RERIY Ends § New Gc i — i) + JULY 6-9 ¢ AT THE LIBRARY § Children's Auction yods &§ Books, Books, Books A — The Library Auction starts July 6. 20-page section inside 8 Booths Library seeks local funding Town, school support nearly lowest in Luzerne County By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff BACK MOUNTAIN - As the only institution to serve all nine area communities, the Back Mountain Memorial Library is possibly the area's greatest cultural and rec- reational resource. It also faces perhaps the larg- est challenge - raising enough money to continue the present level of service, keep materials up to date and expand services. “Every year library staff mem- bers answer hundreds of research questions,” said board member Bruce Rosenthal. “The library has a wide selection of periodicals (magazines and newspapers), computer access to information and business directories. It's a safe, culturally enriching environ- ment for children and adults.” The annual auction raises 25 percent of the library's $232,000 budget, but the institution has received dwindling support from municipalities and schools for several years, he added. “With the state now using a different formula to aid commu- nity libraries, our library lost $6,000 in state funding last year,” Rosenthal said. Lastyear the Back Mountain Memorial Library re- ceived $38,480 in state aid and $25,500 from Luzerne County. According to Rosenthal's fig- ures, the Back Mountain Memo- rial Library receives the fourth lowest amount of local support in Luzerne County — only 4¢ per book circulated, * » Re % ® X , RR = In contrast, the Hazleton Li- brary receives the most local support in the county — approxi- mately $1.80 per book — and is 90 percent funded by the city. State funding to local libraries is now based on the amount of support they receive from the municipalities and school districts they serve. Libraries receiving large amounts of local support receive more state aid than those receiving lower amounts, Rosen- thal said. “We're trying to recover the $6,000 we lost from the state and increase our support base, so we'll be able to increase our state aid level once more,” Rosenthal said. See LIBRARY, pg 8 Luzerne County Libraries - 1993 Support per book circulated $2.00 $1.75 $1.50 $1.25, $1.00 $0.75 $0.50 Hazleton Hoyt Plymouth Osterhout Pittston Graph by Bruce Rosenthal $0.25 Mill Kirby $0.00 Back Mt W. Pittston Wyoming Dallas, Pennsylvania SIS SAVAIN[CT ll = | =HOI@1\V/ |\V IS] NRE SASH O ] ol lo | =80 BD VAY BVARSTS BVAN of = = VV PAV A ENT OF [OI @] BR BI ISH B 21 [OF BS July 5 thru July 11, 1995 In the swim Wade Howell made the most of some fine summer weather by working out with his spiffy tube. Mom Barbara Howell kept a close eye on her son's progress. It may be a couple of more weeks before he can swim on his own. They live at Harveys Lake. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Family stocks up for ‘American dream’ By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff DALLAS TOWNSHIP - A store which has been a Back Mountain landmark for 85 years has ac- quired a new identity and become an opportunity for a family to realize its part of the American dream. Expected to open by July 12, Brothers’ Mercantile is located in the building which once housed Moore's Store at the corner of Lower Demunds and Ransom roads. It has been bought by brothers Michael, Frank and Mark Ondish and their cousin, James Evans, all from Centermoreland. “We have always wanted toown a small business,” said Mark Ondish, who recently graduated from Clarion University with a degree in Environmental Science. “It's our part of the American dream - to work for yourself and be your own boss.” Michael Ondish presently works at Keyco Distributing, while Frank works at Proctor and Gamble and Evans is a bartender. The men have spent the last month renovating the building inside and out, even changing its color from the familiar deep red to a crisp forest green. “We had originally planned on painting it red again, but changed our minds at the last minute and By GRACE R. DOVE Post Staff DALLAS TOWNSHIP - The Dallas School District will spend nearly $1 million of its $3.7 mil- lion fund balance in the 1995-96 school year, according to the budget that passed unanimously June 27. The operating budget shows an 8 percent increase to $17,544,453 — over last year's $16,238,246 spending plan, ac- cording to figures supplied by business manager Charlotte Wil- liams. The tax rate will remain at POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE A LITTLE DAB’LL DO - Niark Ondish touches up part of a front window at the new Brothers’ Mercantile, scheduled to open by July 12, in the building which once housed Moore's Store. Ondish and his brothers, Michael and Frank, and cousin, Jim Evans, bought the buiiding a month ago. Budget takes $1 M from fund balance But Dallas district still has 3 times state-recommended reserve 158 mills. The district will start the year with a fund balance of $3,667,633, a 32 percent increase over last year. It is projected to end with a little over $2.5 million, about what it began 1994-95 with. The state board of education suggests a 5 percent fund equity, which would be about $900,000. A 13.5 percent increase in state income, from $5,849,128 to $6,641,192, will be slightly offset by a 13.4 percent decrease in federal funding, from $200,789 to See BUDGET, pg 8 NEP ER decided to give it a new color along with its new identity.” he said. Ondish emphasized that Broth- ers’ Mercantile will be as close as possible to a traditional old coun- try store — not a modern, sterile convenience store. “People are getting tired of big supermarket chains developing monopolies,” he said. “We'll try to bring back the old days, with the storekeepers who knew all their customers by name and made friendly service and common courtesy their first priorities. We want to sell ourselves as well as our products.” The location is ideal, very close. to schools, many homes and a’ large trailer park. Lots of traffic: passes by, Ondish said. ; The nearest country store is; five miles away in Centermore-’ land. : Brothers’ Mercantile will sell. fresh produce, meats and a vari- ety of other goods, all obtained as* See DREAM, pg 8 ¢ HB Red Sox beat everyone The Red Sox finish undefeated in Major League Softball. Page 9. HB Flying the flag Jackson Township installs new flag pole. Page 3. 32 Pages 3 Sections Calendar..................... 12 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING a A | i | The Dallas Post 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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