Vol. 108 No. 53 Dallas, Pennsylvania SI=ISAVAIN [CTE |= CONMUNIEILS (© Si ll | =H BVAY Bl WPAN IQ WAN JC =H B= 2 1 AV NBS OF ¢ [O10 BE BI SH § 21 [OF ES 50¢ Wednesday, December 31 thru January 6, 1998 1997 in review, stories big and small that touched our lives Editor's Note: What follows are week-by-week excerpts from is- sue of The Dallas Post in 1997. It is not meant to be a “top” stories list, but rather a selection that touches all aspects of life in the Back Moun- tain. In that way, we hope to bring attention to the individuals and institutions that make the region such a good place in which to live, work and raise families. Jan. 8: After Dallas school di- rectors voted to rescind a vote to place the replacement for Westmoreland Elementary on land used by Back Mountain Base- ball, they scheduled a walk on the proposed site on the main school campus. While baseball fans sup- ported: the change, some Westmoreland parents were up- set the school would not be sepa- rated from the rest of the district's schools. Louis Alar, a 27-year-old Back * Recycling pickup rates will 20 down By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff .BACK MOUNTAIN - Custom- ors of the trash and recycling pro- siam administered by the Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA) vill be getting a belated Christ- nas present — a reduction in cost. Tom Bagley, DAMA executive director, said this week the an- nual charge for the program will decline to $100 from the present $112, effective January 1. This is the second reduction since the program began in 1991, when the rate was $135 per year. “We've been able to keep ex- penses to a minimum,” Bagley said about the program that serves about 6,000 households in Dallas Borough and Dallas and Kingston townships. Bagley said the num- ber of customers had risen as well, as new homes have been ' builtin the Back Mountain. About 60 new accounts were added in 1997. While there was some resis- tance to the program when it was first implemented, most has died down. Bagley said less than 4 percent of accounts are delin- quent, “and half of them are delin- quent on sewer bills too.” Milton Lutsey, Dallas Borough manager, said he believed the towns had budgeted for 9 percent delinquency when the program started. “I think they've built up a See DAMA, pg 8 Mountain native, won the bronze . medal of honor for service beyond the call of duty at the department in Maryland where he now serves as captain. He credited his train- ing with the Shavertown fire com- pany for getting him started in fire fighting. Blair Haddle, who attended the old Dallas Township school from 1947 to 1958, made an offer to buy the building that is now hardly used. But school board members were cool to the idea, partly be- cause they thought the building and 3 1/2 acres were worth more than Haddle was offering. Jan. 15: A black bear saved a Dallas family's home from dam- age when it stopped an out-of- control car that was careening toward the house. But it wasn't a real bear, it was a five-foot wooden statue, carved by Fred Rosencrans from the stump of a hemlock tree. The car's drive didn't know that, apparently, since he was talking to the bear when Rosencrans came out of his house at 1 a.m. to see what all the commotion was about. Three youths tried to burn down Dallas High School. Michael Adam Miller, 18, and two juveniles hatched the plan, which was de- signed to get them out of school for a while and do away with the principal and vice principal. No one was hurt and there was little damage when they lit toilet paper in a restroom. Jan. 22: The Back Mountain mourned the loss of Gerald Wycallis, Dallas superintendent of schools since 1984. He died after a year of treatment against cancer. Wycallis began his career at Dallas in 1972 when he was hired as principal of Dallas El- ementary School. He was also well known for his involvement with youngsters outside the schools, most as a coach in youth baseball and softball. "Ire- spected the guy so much for his class and determina- tion," said Rich- ard Coslett, former board president. The Back Mountain Re- gional Land Trust announced an agreement that would protect 42 acres of land in Noxen Twp. Dr. Doug Ayers do- nated develop- mentrights to the acreage, which is adjacent to state gamelands. Lake-Lehman's Dave Milunic was the leading scorer in Division 2 of the Wyoming Valley Confer- ence, averaging 18.5 points per game. But he hoped the team 'Men in Black' drop by for Dallas High career day By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - Two Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents vis- ited Dallas High School and showed students they are neither action adventure heroes who get into gun fights or stuffy guys who just want the facts. Their presen- tation may have dispelled some of the FBI mystique, but it also piqued a lot of interest. Through the new Speaker of the Month program, sponsored by the Parent Teacher Student Association and the guidance of- fice, the agents visited with 30 students to discuss their profes- sion. They explained what they do and what it takes to make it at the bureau. The agents, John Gaffney and Kevin E. Shanley let the students in on a little secret early on, that the FBIlis not like it’s portrayed on “You get to see the darker side of life. Us amazing how some people can live.” John Gaffney, FBI Spoil agent POST PHOTO/KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER At the first Speaker of the Month program, From left, Jen Moser, junior; Jill Kryston, PTSA; John Gaffney, FBI special agent; Kevin E. Shanley, FBI special agent; Robyn Jones, guidance office; and Sam Mikolaichik, senior. oy] television. “Most people have this vision of law enforcement. They think there is a mystique about the FBI,” said Gaffney. “Maybe we add to it,” he said with a laugh. Gaffney has been with the bu- reau for 27 years and still likes his job. He graduated from King's College with a degree in business administration and worked for Bethlehem Steel in Maryland be- fore applying for the FBI in 1971. He has worked in Boston, Cleve- land and Philadelphia, and now is in the Scranton office. “It’s interesting being in a smaller office. You work all differ- ent kinds of cases. It is a reward- ing career,” he told the students who signed up for the program. Shanley explained the long, rig- orous and strict process of getting into the bureau. An applicant must be 23 years old, have a See SPEAKER, pg 8 Danny and Fran Cornell showed off the triplet calves born Easter morning on their farm in Lehman. They had never heard of triplets being born in the area { before. would do better in the second half of the season after the Black Knights got off to a slow start. Jan. 29: Frank Henry of Dallas was honored with the Seymour Preston Award, which recognizes 3 an independent school trustees commitment and leadership to his institution. Henry is a trustee of Wyoming Seminary, and led the school's 150th anniversary capital campaign, which raised over $21 million. School board members and par- ents were having a hard time agreeing on just where to put the replacement for Westmoreland El- ementary. Some favor a separate building located on the district's main campus, others want to con- nect it to Dallas Elementary, with a shared gym and cafeteria area. Gov. Tom Ridge presented a $44,000 check to Lake-Lehman for use in its Link-to-Learn pro- gram. The Governor visited the high school to make the presenta- tion, which included certificates. of achievement for the state cham- pion field hockey team and the: See 1997 REVIEW, pg 6. Intensfiied schedule going better this year By JOY MORGAN Post Correspondent DALLAS - Dallas Senior High School is now in its second year of intensified scheduling, and things arerunning more smoothly. Frank Galicki, principal at the high school, feels that everyone now has “knowledge of what is ex- pected of them involving the in- tensified scheduling.” There were plenty of problems during the first year, many con- cerning the flex period. But those problems have largely been worked out. John McCarthy, an English teacher at the senior high, said, “The flex period has improved alot. There's more control. A group of teachers worked all summer to organize it. There are limits and restrictions. Everyone has a place to go and everyone is made ac-. 3 countable.” : There seem to have been sev- eral improvements in academics; the reason the schedule was adopted. Galicki feels that stu- dents and teachers have adapted '- and adjusted their styles of learn= - ing and teaching to accommodate the intensified scheduling. Dallas’s average SAT score has increased about 100 points to 1024, although this may not be an indication of how the new schedule is working. : McCarthy, who was opposed to the new schedule during its for- mation, now feels that it works well with his teaching style. “I can starta scene in Macbeth and work | all the way through. It’s a lot See SCHEDULE, pg 3. HB Getting to know you Pvt. Eduardo Lopez of Dallas trains with former U.S. enemies. Pg 3. BM Hoop dreams are eluding Lake-Lehman so far this year. Preview on page 9. 16 Pages 2 Sections The Dallas Post Calendar.................. 16 Classified.............. 14-15 Crossword................. 16 Editonals................... 4 Obituaries.......c.co...... 14 Sohook..oi...ccosiiinnniis 13 SPOS Lh iis 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING and mail to The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612-0366 MAILING LABEL- Please enclose this label with any address changes,
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