The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 11,1997 7 The Barn (continued from page 1) with a laugh. The last laugh, ® at i is. The once soot covered clock is now going for around $9,000. Last summer the couple decided to retire to the Back Mountain after 20 years abroad iri‘Wales. Mrs. Bessant is originally from Dallas and attended West Side Central Catholic school (now Bishop O'Reilly High School). They chose the area because of its esthetic charm and to be close to her family. Mrs. Bessant’s sister is Pat Russin, who recéntly retired as head of the guidance office at Dallas High School: “It’s still pretty untouched hére,” said Mrs. Bessant as she sat on a wood-framed couched set in front of a large bay window overlooking a small hillside blanketed with trees. ‘Soon after their arrival they bought The Barn, right off Old Rt. 115 on Market St. The 150- year-old barn with three spacious floors struck them as perfect for selling their fine antiques immediately. The Bessant’s knew they wanted a barn to house their haa TElICS: but had some trouble 19 |B Kozemchak finding one at first. “Most of the barns were falling down about our ears,” said Mr. Bessant, frankly. “This place was already fixed up.” The previous owners of The Barn, the Major family, also sold antiques and rugs. Neither of the Bessants collected antiques until after they were married in 19686. They met at work in New York and moved with the company, now Exxon, all over the coun- try with their two children, Claire, 26 and David, 28. Both still live in Wales. The couple was introduced to “antiquing” by a mutual friend and even had a small store in New Jersey before leaving for Wales. While abroad, the Bessants wore many hats. They owned a pub in the small 12th century village of Llandenny and ran a pizza restaurant for a while. Also, due to Glyn’s love of cars, namely Jaguars, he restored classic cars. They brought back many items from Wales to sell. “We packed it all into a 40 ft. container and shipped it over,” . said Mr. Bessant. They also purchase many items from auctions. The idea of restoring some- thing of great quality and = An Amish roofer silhouetted against the sky at The Barn, Lehman. Photos document move of auction to library grounds Library news pe The Back Mountain Library is featuring a collection of pictures in the reference room at the li- brary. This: collection of pictures is titled, “The auction moves to the library grounds.” In 1972, the library moved its auction to the grounds behind the library when i # the Risley barn was sold. InJune ofthat year, Hurricane Agnes dev- astated the Wyoming Valley and it became necessary to postpone the auction until October. "Clark Bittner was general chairman. Once again, volun- teers came out in force to erect a new barn and prepare the area for the auction. Ruggles Construc- tion Company L:i'it the building designed by Lee Eckert and John Gregorski. The auction contin- ued to be held on the library grounds until the library moved to the former Dallas Elementary School on Huntsville Road in 1984. The pictures include: The site of the new auction block located behind the library on Main Street; Clark Bittner, chairman of the 1972 auction, accepts a bid over the block. Pictured are Mitchell Jenkins, Clark Bittner, Bob Bachman and Ernie Gay. The third picture shows the crowd dressed for the cooler October weather, members of the Dallas community and its many visitors, including those displaced by the flood, who came to support the auction. Fourth picture features Mrs. Herman Thomas who continued her late husband's tradition of purchasing the first item over the block. Auctioneer is Pete Arnaud Troop 281 takes part in trailblazer camporee Troop 281 of Dallas, recently took part in the Mountain Trailblazer District Spring Camporee. Troops from the Wyoming Valley competed in different scout skills. Troop 281 took 11 event ribbons and Patrols won first place overall and 2nd place overall. From left, row 1, K. Hession, J. Halbing, D. Smith, J..Cyprich, R. Murphy, B. Murphy, J. Delaney, C. Zalenski, R.J. Barna, D, Kowalek, M. Neiman; row 2, @’ .P. Lech, A. Pajka, T. Van Horn, D. Glicini, B. Finnerty, J. Lech, S. Gilroy, M. Darling, J. Bednash, J. Pace, R. Mark, E. Goeringer, N. Mathewson, L. Griffin, P. Luksa, C. Eckert, R. Mancuso; row 3, M. McDonnel, M. Wills, J. Holdredge, C. Pajka, C. Riley, B. Downey, M. Miller, S. Neiman, D. Neiman; row 4, Leaders, M. Pajka, D. Neiman, S. Bednash. a A = POST PHOTO/KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Mary and Glyndwr Bessant relaxing at The Barn, which they've purchased and reopened as an antiques shop. character is what inspires the Bessants to stay in the busi- ness. “I like the way (antiques) are made. It’s nice to restore something back to its original form,” said Mrs. Bessant. “To take a piece of furniture and bring it back to life, that’s really something,” added Mr. Bessant, who specializes in clock restoration. Plus, “Antiques are a good invest- ment. The prices keep going up,” he said. and behind him are Bartt and Brett Slocum. The fifth picture shows the interior of the “new” barn with items to be auctioned off. The community support is always super! New books at the library: “American Country Folk Crafts” by Carol Engler Sterbenz features 50 country craft projects for deco- rating your home. It shows a full range of tradi- tional American handcrafts; hooked rugs to paper cuttings. The book was presented in memory of Elizabeth Frank by 42 Quilters. “Birds of North America” by Noel Grove is a Memorial Book presented by Thomas and Patricia Baubonis in memory of Noel Tho- mas, Sr. It shows more than 800 species of birds who exercise their air rights over North America. Many of them delight our senses: goldfinches, bluebirds and humming birds. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Tanglewood (continued from page 1) toward the end performance and it's a very big performance,” she said. Winters is no stranger to big performances. On Friday June 13 at 7:30 p.m., Winters will be performing at First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre with schoolmate Mark Kratz. The two will be accompanied by Lydia Breiseth. The performance is free and open to the public. Winters and Kratz will perform opera se- lections from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Puccini's Gianni Schicci, and Offenbach’s Les Contes d’'Hoffmann. They will also perform selections from Phantom of the Opera, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Candide. Winters grew up in a musical household. Her mother took seven years of piano and her father played the guitar. Winters says she “played around,” with the two instruments, but didn’t have any formal training. In fourth and fifth grade, she played the flute and in seventh and eighth, she joined the school chorus. “I loved it, but I didn't think it was going to lead anywhere,” she said of her early interest in singing. Winters credits her develop- ment as a singer to a few support- ive teachers, such as Chris Wilski, a chorus teacher at Wyoming Valley West. “He's a very, very supportive person and he con- stantly encouraged me, even at my not-so-wonderful moments,” she said. She is also thankful for her voice lesson teacher for the past 3 1/2 years, Helen Ralston. Winter said, “I love her to death. She's like a second mother.” Recently Winters started tak- ing formal piano lessons and she has picked up the flute once again as “a supplement to voice.” She explained, “When you are playing another instrument, you get a different perspective on your main instrument.” Dr. Ellen Flint from Wilkes University is Winters’ pi- ano teacher. Winters hopes to oe one day ° "Decoine as adept at the, piano as at voice.’ Winters has performed in both" community and school theater” productions. She has played’ Nanette in “No, No, Nanette,” Fiona-’ in “Brigadoon,” and Maria in “West. ~ Side Story.” She is a soprano so- loist at First Presbyterian Church. She has attended Wilkes.’ University’s Encore Music Camp + for two years and has performed - in an opera at Wilkes. Winters says much of her time | 2 is taken up with music related" activities, but said, “I love biology = and I'm really starting to like ac ta counting.” Hike For now, though, music still. ; has a grip on Winters. She was: accepted at Temple ae hi Esther Boyer College of Music - and will begin classes in the fall. . Winters was awarded both an academic scholarship and a per-_ formance scholarship. And mu- sic is still her long term goal. “Ideally, 1 would like wo join up - with a small opera company, » she’! ut said. “I wouldn't be well-known, : but I could earn a living.” Vi She hopes to strengthen her musical abilities at Boston. University’s summer camp. Win- + ters has been working hard to. . earn the money to attend Tanglewood since she applied last January, working two part-time jobs while finishing high school." She also sold candy and wrote" letters to local businesses asking * for donations. Recently, the insti- tute awarded Winters a $900, - scholarship, bringing her very: close to her goal. Anyone who would like to fielp Winters attend the camp may call . 696-2016 or 287-3652. of A} Lake-Noxen Elementary | honor roll for 4th quarter . Robert S'*Kunkle;’ Priidipal)’' Kimberly Jones, Stephanie Jones, .; Lake-Noxen Elementary School,’ Harveys Lake, announces the fol- lowing sixth grade students have achieved the Honor Roll for the fourth marking period: Bradley Baird, Bernard Boback, Amanda Boice, Cory Brin, Andrew Coombs, Christopher Coombs, Laura Donovan, Rebecca Finch, Stephanie Frank, Matthew Galka, Jenny Harris, Matthew Ide, ~ Donna Kaminski, Dustin Kapson, Philip Kasper, Daniel King, Sheena ' Kocher, Linda Korbeil, George Lazur, Dustin Lord, John:% Mishanski, Matthew Navin: Betsy i" Pitcher, : 16 Amy Ruda, Cheryl Schweize., Maggie Sorber, Joshua Sorchik, Judi Stuffick, Megan Thorne, David Vernouski, Lindsey _ Walkowiak and John Yogodzinski. Heard the news? l.et us in on it. Call or write with your happenings or story ideas so we can share them with the Back Mountain. Send items to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612. y : Br — a ———— Thinking About Taking Income From Your Retirement Investments? 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