8 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 29, 1997 Rh i eS Scouts (continued from page 1) ‘007 offers. Varsity Venture is divided into two groups, sport ,activities and high adventure. The former consists of basketball, roller hockey, swimming and simi- lar activities. The latter includes ‘canoe camping, caving and fish- ‘ing. . The Venture Varsity is not in- ‘tended to take time away from the ‘Scout's troop said Pimm. “Your first responsibility is to your troop and your position,” he said. The idea behind Varsity scouting is to take the skills learned and teach them to the younger scouts in ‘one’s troop. + Caving is the first activity on the team’s list. In March it is scheduled to go to Sharer's Cav- ‘ern in Lewisburg. ; . There are four activities a year that are broken into three month spans, including the training and event. After the first event the Scout receives a Varsity letter, much like those given in high school sports. Then the scout re- ceives a pin for each event that follows. “The program is set up so that if a scout comes in at 14 years old and leaves at 18, he wouldn't have repeated a single activity,” ex- plained Larry Griffiths, who vol- unteered to be the “patrols” coach. - Patrolman Frank Ziegler of the Kingston Township Police Depart- ‘ment is serving as representative for the Back Mountain Police As- sociation. Ziegler described Team 007 asa “a great thing for us to get involved in.” + “I don't think anyone has ever asked us to get involved in this capacity. Not only sending them money, but showing up and see- ing what's going on,” said Ziegler. . Pimm said the Venture Varsity gives the scouts an opportunity to participate in activities they may never get to experience again. “It opens up different doors for dif- ferent kids,” he explained. Team 007 is the only Varsity scouting patrol in the entire NEPA Council, spanning from the Poconos to Tunkhannock. . Eight boys from various troops in the Back Mountain showed up | “I found that a lot of | Scouts were getting tired of just camping, they wanted something more adventurous to do.” John Pimm Team 007 leader at the first meeting and were posi- tive about the new group. “I wanted to do this because it sounded different,” said Matthew Kutish, 17, of troop 281. “It's a good thing for older guys in scout- ing. It takes scouting to the next level.” For more information, callJohn Pimm at 639-5158. Boy Scouts from all troops in the Back Moun- tain are welcome. School has shown evidence that a smaller school would be better education- ally, said Finn, who has consis- tently voted against the main cam- pus site and is an advocate of the administration site. Maureen Banks said she did her “homework” and also found research showing smaller schools provide a better environment for children. “I am adamant that it remain a separate school,” she explained. Although she voted to put the school on the administra- tion site, she does not plan to make a motion to put the building back on that site. “We can’t keep going back and forth.” One of Banks's main concerns with the campus sites is the pos- sible growth of the Back Moun- tain. "What if the projections are wrong? All around we seem to be growing,” she said. “When the main campus was conceived, plans weren't drawn up well enough to show where to put this last building. Now we're trying to “It's been long and tedious for everyone | involved.” Ernest Ashbridge | School board president make it fit on a parcel it doesn’t really fit on.” To many supporters of the main campus site, a separate building can be built and share facilities such as a gymnasium or a field and still keep its “separate” status. Board member John George, who said he is certain the school will eventually be built on the main campus, is a strong sup- porter of adjoining the new build- ing to the existing Dallas Elemen- tary School. * ‘Site D" (as it is known) is more convenient be- cause it puts all the schools in one location and shares the facilities,” Henry (continued from page 1) close relationship with the teach- ers. I made many lifelong friends there,” explained Henry. He explains his childhood in nearly ideal terms. The son of a businessman who attended West Point, Henry enjoyed homes in both Wilkes-Barre and Dallas. “It was a great place to grow up. It was a free and easy kind of place to grow up, without all the worries of today. People were very friendly.” One of the friends he made while serving on the school’s board some 30 years ago is Dr. Wallace Stettler of Dallas. Stettler de- scribes Henry as a selfless and honest man. “He is unselfish, he believes in truth and he lives by that,” said Stettler. “I'm so de- lighted (about his being presented the Preston award); he deserves it.” Stettler sees his friend as an irreplaceable value to the com- munity. “He is a unique person, a true gentleman who only thinks in terms of what he can do to be helpful,” he explained proudly. “We are lucky to have him in the community.” John Shafer, director of devel- opment at Wyoming Seminary and who Henry described as an “inte- gral part to the success” of the fund campaign, said no one knows Wyoming Seminary better than Henry. “He personifys the type of individual that you would have chair a fundraising event,” said Shafer. “He had boundless en- ergy and boundless enthusiasm.” “The Preston Award was a marvelous and well deserved trib- ute to Frank, and also the school,” said Shafer. If you missed The Post - you missed the news! Elementary School should go? T Where do you think the replacement for Westmoreland | he Dallas Post is publishing this unofficial ballot to 2 ( indicate your top two choices below, entering a “1” in i i = \ il ’ gin a sense of the community’s preference. Please] me so lh Cu \ \ i " 5 \ BASEBALL © X | : ~ the box by your first choice, and a “2” next to your second choice. A \ 1 The Post will publish the results in the February 5 | \ issue, so please return your ballot promptly. The final \ H deadline for ballots will be 5 p.m. Mon., Feb. 3. I 01 would prefer that the school remain at its present site in Trucksville. : Sites shown on the map I (All K-5 buildings): I QO site A is near the intersection of ‘Hildebrandt Rd. and Conyngham Ave. 1 (] Site C is where the tennis courts now J stand. | U site D would provide a separate school | building, but share a gymnasium, cafeteria | and other support offices with Dallas I Elementary School. 1 prefer putting a new school building on 2 now used by Back Mountain Baseball. = Site B is near the present Middle School. These are the reasons | made these choices: 1" AGRICULTURAL 7 I We need the following information to confirm that I you live within the Dallas School District. Names | will not be used unless you give permission. I Name 1 | \ \ \ x \ \ \ setoRnrtate Poon 0 Fob 000 2 009 I Address 1 Township or Borough A Phone No. i Bring or send completed ballots to: i The Dallas Post 1 607 Main Rd., P.O. Box 366 1 Dallas PA 18612. Bi ee sr ie ; We will call if we want to use your comments in an article. Return by 5 p.m., i Mon., Feb. 3 : A wm I EE IEE EN SEE I EEN BEEN ED SE DE DE SE EET EE DE EN NE EE EE EN J DE DE BEEN EEE GD DEE GEE BEE DE DEE GE DE DEE EE DN SEE SE SE EE SE —_— a iste Tees > +2 Henry agreed. “It speaks well of the school and its ability to raise funds. Getting recognized by this national organization puts Wyo- ming Seminary in good company,” he said. : Aside from his many contribu- tions to Wyoming Seminary, Henry is responsible for much more. As chairman of the Board of Direc- tors for Geisinger Foundation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, he greatly contributed to the open- ing of Geisinger Cancer Center in Wyoming Valley. It was dedicated to he and his wife Dorothea in 1992. The center's location is conve- nient for people who otherwise would have to go to Danville for treatment, said Dave Jolly, vice president of community relations for Geisinger Cancer Center. “He's a tremendous man who is very committed to causes. The well being of his fellow man is high on his list of priorities,” said Jolly. Also, Henry brings in the North- eastern Philharmonic every Inde- pendence Day to play for approxi- mately 70,000 people in Kirby Park in Wilkes-Barre. Henry said he owes it to the community to give back. “You owe it back to the community. You aren't successful solely be- cause of who you are, it's where you live and due to the commu- nity you serve,” said Henry. ‘ 00 oe ood | {d IVHNLINOIEOY J, 02 2% Note: o9,.# Size, shape and 5 QT: placement of buildings in general terms their approximate dimensions and position. he explained. Ashbridge sees the campus site as an all-around financial choice. “It would alleviate problems with busing, transport of food, and deliveries. Also, while we're build- ing one, we could be improving the existing school under one bond issue. It's the most economical choice,” he said. The board has changed its mind twice, once on a decision to put the school on the main campus and once to put the school on the administration site. Board mem- bers voted to put it back on the main campus on Jan. 6. There are four possible sites on the cam- pus, but none of them could win a majority ata specialdJan. 13 school board meeting. Board members have different views on the proceedings up to this point. “The process has been confusing. It almost seems like everything is going backwards. We have no idea what the building looks like and we have to pick a site for it,” said Banks. George thinks there has been adequate information presented. "We have had plenty of informa- tional meetings. We should've taken care of it before everyone went on vacation,” said George.. Although they agree the pro- cess has taken longer than ex- pected, the board members are sticking to what they see as the best site. “I'm not in favor of the campus site and I don't see where @ kJ I would have to change my vote,” said Finn. Banks, who maintains that the campus site hasn't been shown to be the best option, will most likely vote down all four proposed sites in that area. “I hope that the five people who voted for the campus can decide on a site,” she said. The board members plan ongy meeting again on Feb. 3, though™ no vote will be held due to some board members being out of state. Nearby district kept four small elementary schools , By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - Dallas School Board, teachers and parents can look to the Abington Heights School Dis- trict for a nearby example of how local schools have survived. The Abington Heights district had four K-4 elementary schools for years. In 1989 the school board revealed plant to build one new school for all 1,200 elemen- tary children, closing the smaller community schools. Parents organized, as many have done in Dallas, some for and most against building one large . school. After three years of dis- cussions, the board voted in March, 1992 to keep the four com- munity schools. The average num- ber of students in the schools is 309, with about 25 students per class. Dallas Elementary has approximately 700 students and Westmoreland Elementary has ap- proximately 500. Tom Parry, vice president of the Abington Heights School Board, said the big school wins hands down if one is looking only at the cost. But, after much re- search with the Carnegie Foun- dation, he found that small com- munity schools provide a better environment for children that age, he said. “After we researched all the in- formation, we felt we had to share it. We decided to get together and go to people's homes,” explained Parry. “We presented both sides, with the pros and cons of both a large and small school. It was very beneficial because everyone felt they were very informed. Most people were for the smaller schools ‘al | after presented with all of the ® 1 information.” The estimated cost of renovat- ing and additions to the four Ab- ington Heights buildings, along with work on the high school is $14 million. Dallas board mem- ber James Richardson estimated the cost of renovation for the ex- isting elementary school and ad- joining the new one at $10 mil- lion. A new building alone is: projected to cost $6 million. Parry said he knows today Ab- ington Heights made the right decision and offered to talk with anyone from the Dallas school district about research and the process the Abington board used. DISCOVER DUCKLOE & Bring History Home Distinctive furnishings with a past bring unique character to the present. Since 1859 Duckloe Bros. has been furnishing homes. We have on display five showroom floors featuring living room, dining room, bedroom, and office furniture. We are also exclusive dealers of Stickley's Arts & Crafts Mission style furniture in both oak and cherry. — FEBRUARY SALE EVENTS — #1 - Stickley Seminar Saturday, February 8, 11:00 a.m. Call for reservations #2 - Shifman Bedding Sale All Month #3 - Oriental Rug Sale February 14, 15, 16 (12-5) & 17 (12 - 5) #4 - Hickory Chair, Mt. Vernon Collection All Month P.O. Box 427 - Portland, Pennsylvania (8 Miles South of Stroudsburg on Route 611) (717) 897-6172 Open Monday through Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm i, i br
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