- 12 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 31, 1997 - 1997 in words and photos on The Dallas Post's pages Continued from page 11 Arbogast, a member since 1965. Gerald Fisher, who wants to develop lots in Westmoreland Hills, and Dr. Robert Budin, who opposes Fisher's plan, both said they would appeal a zoning board decision that ruled some of the 12 acres R-1 and the rest C-1. As Dr. Mary Hines took the reins as CEO of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus, questions were being raised about plans to limit the number of students at the main campus and extend course offerings at branches. Kristin Faerber of Dallas sang the National Anthem to open the Pocono 500 stock car race at Pocono Raceway. The Dallas High graduate was going to Boston University in the fall. Aug. 6: Dallas school board + members got a look at plans for two sports fields that would be built in an area behind the high school on the 100-acre campus in Dallas Twp. They would replace fields taken for the new elemen- tary school. : It rained a little, but that was scant relief for area farmers fight- ing a drought. Fruits and veg- etables were at risk if rain didn’t show up soon. “"We really need rain in the next week or the blos- soms and fruit will start to fall,” said Norm Darling Jr., owner of Darling Farms. Back Mountain athletes came back from the Keystone State Games with a mountain of med- als. Among the highlights: goalie Russ Mosier held Delaware Valley scoreless as his team won the soccer title, with Tim Faneck and Andrew George scoring goals; Amy Lloyd won two gold medals in swimming; Tami Palka won gold in kata and silver in kumite; Joanne VanSaun won the bronze medal in women’s open golf with a two-day score of 197. Aug. 13: Officials of the Back Mountain Communication Cen- ter hoped to.win a lawsuit that - would allow the center to con- tinue operations after a county- wide 911 system is activated next year. The Dallas Twp. Zoning Hear- ing Board voted unanimously to deny an appeal of a building per- mit for the Cellular One phone tower. Dr. Roger Landry, who op- poses, the tower, argued that the company is not a public utility and the tower exceeds allowable height. . Dinosaurs were alive and kick- ing in Dallas recreational basket- ball. Dinosaur Jr. won the season title 61-51 over Camp Orchard Hill, asJim Jaster scored 14 points and Nafty Hage tossed in 13. Chris Hackett of Shavertown finished the Greater Wilkes-Barre Triathlon in 2:22:32 to be the top local competitor. Nadalie Temperine of Dallas was the top local female at 3:00:13. Aug. 20: Rich Gorgone’s con- tract as head football coach at Lake-Lehman was renewed on a 6-2 vote. Some school board mem- bers weren't happy with the team’s performance and had held back the vote. “I thought it was rather petty not to hire him the first time around,” said outgoing board member Samuel Rhodes. John Barilla Jr. was one of 16 visual artists chosen to attend the Governor’s School for the Arts. He received a full scholarship to the 5-week program. Jack Wolensky, who last year moved from Dallas Middle School to the high school as guidance counselor, was named athletic + director for the district. He had ~ been baseball coach for 18 years, ~ but stepped down from that as- signment. ; Aug. 27: Commonwealth Tele- ~ phone asked for a rate increase that would add features and change local calling areas. It was expected to cost the average cus- tomer about $3.50 per month. Rev. Charles Grube arrived at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Shavertown, replacing Rev. Harold Baer, who retired in 1996. Robert Bohm had served as interim pas- tor until June. Ed Geida of Trucksville and his band “Bedford” hope to spread a positive image of and for youth through their punk-rock music. The band’s record is in its second printing. Jack Zarno won the 1997 Club Championship at Lehman Golf Club, shooting a three-under-par 133 over 36 holes. He beat Bob Zagorsky by three strokes. Sandy Yeager won the women’s champi- onship with a 160 score. Sept. 3: Dave Dershimer left Harveys Lake in 1964 to become a professional water skier in Florida, but he became a lot more. He was - named the 1997 Distinguished Alumnus of Polk Community Col- lege. Alvaro Garcia, an artist from Brooklyn, NY, installed a display Jeff Peters, left, and Jim Sidorek got a close look at the new ladder truck purchased by the Shavertown Volunteer Fire Dept. Some of the funds for the down payment came from aluminum cans the department collected. The collection is still going on, and cans may be left at the fire station on Main Street. of sculptures made from old tires at the McDonald Art Gallery at College Misericordia. The display took several weeks to create. The Dallas Mountaineers avenged last season’s opening loss by stopping Marian Catholic 39- 19. Quarterback Bill Piasta scored two touchdowns as Dallas ground out 252 yards on running plays, but completed no passes. Sept. 10: A surprise vote failed to fill the Dallas school board seat vacated when Reese Finn moved to North Carolina. James Richardson offered the name of former board member Richard Coslett, but failed to get the five votes needed, in part because other board members were con- fused by the turn of events. While it was known Finn had left the area, his formal resignation didn’t take place until board president Ernest Ashbridge found an un- marked envelope at his place when he returned from a break in the meeting. Developers said they support zoning codes, but question the need for large lot sizes in areas that are served by municipal sew- ers. “It's made homeowning out of reach for a lot of people,” said John Halbing, who builds mostly in Dallas Twp. Sept. 17: Kingston Twp. su- pervisors pledged to install stop signs on Pioneer Ave., responding to pleas from people who live on the busy road. “I'm shooting for the moon here and hoping to get something,” said Dona Miller, when she asked for signs at Davis St. and Center St. Skip and Nancy Smith were busy raising emus, a native Aus- tralian bird, at their farm in Beau- mont. The birds, which reach 135 pounds as adults, lay eggs that fetch $15 each and their meat is considered a delicacy. Lehman Twp. supervisors said they would consider pulling out of the Back Mountain Communica- tion Center if Luzerne County could prove its service would be as good. But they stressed they weren't displeased with the BMCC's service, just watching out for taxpayers who are charged $1.25 per month per phone line for the county service, whether they use it or not. Sept. 24: Customers of Tele- Media were up in arms over re- ports they might lose access to Philadelphia sports. Sports Chan- nel Philadelphia and PRISM were going off the air at the end of the month, and it wasn’t clear that Tele-Media would pick up Comcast. “I will be devastated if can’t get my Flyers,” said Carol Bugglin of Dallas. Students at Dallas and Lake- Lehman high schools gathered for “See You at the Pole Day” to show their faith. The event took place worldwide as students, teachers, parents and others met at school flagpoles to talk and pray aboutlocal and national con- cerns. “I feel I must do as well as I can because I want to live as | say,” said Lake-Lehman senior Jacque Burke. Charles and Marie McAvoy pre- sented a subdivision plan that would divide 135 acres off Coon Rd. in Kingston and Franklin townships into four parcels. The land could be subdivided again as long as each division meets zon- ing codes. signed in recent months. Tom Dougherty and Karen Whipple had hoped to develop an area behind the municipal building into a rec- reation park; instead a poorly- maintained soccer field is all that rests there. Tom and Joan (Gruelick) Byron won't let vandalism discourage them from offering their land for youth sports. Their Dallas Twp. barn was defaced with a swastika and obscenities, despite their gen- erosity in loaning use of the land to soccer and cross country teams. Oct. 8: Brad Bounds, youth pastor at the Outlet Free Method- ist Church, was gearing up to offer productive activities to area teens. “I want to give kids hope for the future,” he said. The Dallas High School Parent- Teacher-Student Association pre- sented its first Student of the nounced plans to develop the former Native Textiles property into an office and retail complex, with warehouse space to boot. The cornerstone will be a restau- rant in the former power house. Dallas school board announced its intention to conduct dog searches for drugs in the school, and to randomly test athletes for prohibited substances. Some par- ents of athletes were upset by the proposal, and with its sudden appearance. “Yeah, you definitely have to be a certain kind of person to work at night,” said Bill Iveson, who works at the Hess station. He and other. night workers told what it’s like to be hard at work while most of the world is sleeping. Oct. 22: It’s hardly news any- more, but National Utilities Inc. has again failed to make repairs it promised in the Oak Hill develop- ment. Lehman Twp. officials said if the company wouldn’t follow through, the township would do the work and send them a bill. Michael Casey was named a semi-finalist, and Joann White, Ryan Mahle and Samuel Rhodes were named commended schol- ars in the National Merit Scholar- ship competition. It was the first time four Lake-Lehman students had been so honored. Six years after it was created in controversy, therecycling program operated by the Dallas Area Mu- nicipal Authority was honored for helping Luzerne County exceed the state goal of 25 percent recy- cling. Oct. 29: The Back Mountain Communication Center lost its bid to be allowed to function inde- pendently when Commonwealth Court ruled against it. Discus- sions started with Luzerne County to see if the local facility could function in another manner. Alumni of the one-room Hill- side School in Jackson Twp. gath- ered at Irem Temple Country Club for their first reunion. “Older kids took a pail and pumped water into the crock and that’s where we got our water,” recalled Joan Britt. Dr. Stevan Davies, a professor of religious studies at College Mise- ricordia, was interviewed for a program about Satan that will be shown on the A&E cable channel's Biography series. Nov. 5: Jackson Twp. applied for a state grant that would pro- vide half the cost of constructing a baseball field on land behind the township building. Amy Frederick was crowned Homecoming Queen at Bishop O’Reilly High School. She is the ‘daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Frederick, Shavertown. The Dallas Mountaineers won the 50th annual Old Shoe football game, downing Lake-Lehman 20- 12 on a cold, muddy afternoon. The game capped a week of cel- ebration that included a break- fast for team members, and trib- utes to founding coaches Bob Dolbear, Anthony Marchakitus and George McCutcheon. Turning the tables, Lehman's soccer team won the district cham- pionship by beating Dallas 1-0. Nov. 12: Some customers of United Water complained that 3 The "Super Chicks" cheered on Lake-Lehman's Black Knights at the homecoming game Oct. 4. From left, foreground, Jeanine Marchakitus, Trisha Pilosi, Sara Pankrete, Carrie Thorn. Background, Kieran Lucarino, Arlette Kline, Alaina Swanson, Alyson Bevan, Nin Patton, Bonnie Culver, Janelle Janiczek. It worked - Lehman beat Bishop Hoban 42-14. Oct. 1: The Huntsville Golf Club was to be honored for its conser- vation efforts with an Environ- mental Partnership Award. The course is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, joining only 85 others like it in the U.S. Discouraged at the lack of sup- port from the community, two members of the Jackson Twp. Recreation Commission have re- Month awards in four categories; school spirit, student achiever, citizen, and creative student. Dallas Rotary Club honored members Joann Hall and Dr. Clinton Lehman for their years of service to the organization. Both were recognized as Paul Harris - fellows. Oct. 15: Rick Haas and Lynn Banta, husband and wife, an- pressure was inadequate, and the utility should not be allowed to raise rates until it improved ser- vice. The company said it met minimum standards. The Dallas Post was named the second best small weekly in a National Newspaper Association contest. It was the third time in five years the Post had been rec- ognized for general excellence. Against a backdrop oflittle pro- test, Dallas school board unani- mously passed a tough new anti- drug policy that included random testing of athletes. “What led to the overkill? Why can’t we start out small?” asked Tom Dombroski of Trucksville. Nov. 19: There was a snag in the state Department of Trans- portation plan to revamp the in- . tersection at the center of Dallas. Inorder toadd alanetoRt. 415in front of the post office, PennDOT would need land belonging to the federal government, and the trans- fer hadn’t yet been accomplished. Bowing to the inevitable, local fire and ambulance companies began negotiations with the county that will lead to their being dispatched by the county comm ” center next year. Dallas high school students toured the Philadelphia Museum of Art without ever leaving the local campus, thanks to the new distance learning lab. The lab was made possible by a federal grant. Nov. 26: Comments allegedly made after the deadly Country Manor fire led the Back Mountain Firemen’s Association to ask the Idetown fire co. to leave the asso- ciation. Students in the Dallas and Lake-Lehman school districts per- formed a bit better than average in a series of statewide assess- ment tests. The best scores came in reading. The Huntsville United Method- ist Church held a special celebra- tion to mark its 120th year. The present building was constructed Mw in 1877. Lake-Lehman gridders looked back with pride at the school’s best season ever. The Black Knights won their first district championship by beating Montrose 21-20 last week, then led highly ranked S. Williamsport to the very end of the game before losing 16-14 on a field goal. The football team joined the field & hockey, soccer, volleyball and cross country teams as district champs. Dec. 3: Members of the Daddow-Isaacs American Legion Post 672 planned to mark the anniversary of the Japanese at- tack on Pearl Harbor with a spe- cial breakfast Sunday, Dec. 7, the same day of the week as the origi- nal attack. Dallas High School students collected four times as much food as last year to donate to the Back Mountain Food Bank. Classes competed to raise the most items. College Misericordia presented the 1997 Trustee Associates Award to Frank and Carol Bevevino of Dallas. Dec. 10: Dairy farmers are struggling to survive low milk prices, and often losing. Ralph é Sands sold his herd after the last Luzerne County Fair. “The family farm is a thing of the past,” he said. Hillside Farms in Trucks- ville avoids some of the problems, since it sells its milk directly to the public. Tom Yoniski, who teaches American History at Lake- Lehman's middle school, and Paul Warchal, who teaches Life Sci- ence at Dallas Middle School, were honored in a program that selects winners from nominees submit-- ted by their former students. Shavertown United Methodist Church announced a new weekly program just for mothers, with babysitting provided. Dec. 17: Hillside Farms Dairy Store celebrated its 20th year of operation. “I see kids now who 0 were babies when the store opened. Now they are through college,” said Joan Colatosti, who has worked there since the open- - ing. County judge Correale Stevens sided with Dallas School District in a suit by tax collectors upset that their rate of payment had been cut. He ruled the district had the right to make the change. Dozens of volunteers worked to prepare the production, “The Gift,” at Back Mountain Harvest As- sembly. The annual Christmas play is held outdoors and draws hundreds of viewers. Dec. 23: Former Trucksville resident Paul Gregory, who now lives at North Pole, Alaska, said he has seen Santa's workshop, and it is large and filled with toys. % » v After holding the line on taxes (] at 6 mills for 16 years, Dallas Twp. supervisors voted to raise the rate to 9 mills in the coming year. They cited increased ex- penses in the police department and the need for repairs to roads and the township building. “..the best present anyone can get has no shape and can't be seen, it's friendship and love,” wrote Chelsea Sprau, a fourth § grader at Ross Elementary School, in her letter to Santa.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers