ant? ) midnight. Vol. 109 No. 31 / S Dallas, Pennsylvania SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS 50 Cents August 5 thru August 11, 1998 By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - Stinger, Gigi, Fetch and Jake were the most popular animals in the Back Mountain .Thursday. And they're not even real. About 70 people lined up outside The Heritage Shop in the Dallas Shopping Center the brand new Beanie Babies. The group of avid collectors started congregating around noon for the 2 o'clock selling of waiting to get their paws on | the $5 critters. The Heritage Shop employees decided on the 2 o'clock selling time be- cause all of them would be back from lunch and ready to tackle the crowd. Most people found out the New Beanies arrive, and draw a crowd new Beanie Babies were there by chance. { “We were just passing by and saw the line. We figured it was the new Beanie Babies,” said Cathy Pockevich of Kunkle, whose 11-year-old son, Daniel, is a collector. . “1 have over 100,” Daniel said, proudly. “It’s exciting to get the new ones first,” he said, explaining the line full of moth- ers and their children. ~ Paula Opel and her daugh- See BEANIES, pg 8 Lindsey DeMarco, 11, Harveys Lake, was happy after buying Gigi the poodle. Farms recover from wet Spring - By JENNIFER JUDGE Post Correspondent - BACK MOUNTAIN - The un- seasonably warm weather we en- joyed in early spring was not so favorable for crops, say some lo- cal farmers. : “This has been a trying year,” said Ted Dymond, owner of Dymond’s Farm Market in Dallas. “The warm spell started things and the bees weren't out to polli- nate. It will be a light plum sea- son. We missed a lot of plantings because of the wet spring.” Despite the fact that the grow- ing season was not ideal, local fruit stands stil®have an abun- dance of fresh fruit and vegetables. Dymond’s boasts green and yel- low beans that were picked only a -day before. Shoppers at Dymond'’s were pleased with the offerings. “The: corn this morning is prob- ably as near perfect as I've seen,” said Harold Snowdon, Dallas. Snowdon says he buys local fruit and vegetables whenever they are available. Barbara Bell, Shavertown, agreed. “The corn is just starting to get good and the strawberries were good,” she said. Dymond has been selling fruit and vegetables grown on his own farm in Orange since the 1970's. In addition to selling his own crops, , he sells fruit and vegetables from other local farmers. Right now, he has beans, sweet corn, blueber- ries, blackberries, and squash. He says tomatoes and beans are still coming. Marion Welliver, who operates a farm stand with her husband James Welliver, agreed it has been a less than ideal season. “Nothing is spectacular this year,” she said. “Everything's been tight because: of the weather. All the farmers I POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Norm Darling Sr. proudly displayed some of the fruit grown on the Dallas farm his family has operated since 1930. While the growing season got off to a slow start, area fruit and vegetable farmers say things are now catching up. talk to say things are scarce.” The Wellivers sell fruit and veg- etables from their own farm, but they sell fruit from farmer friends as well. The couple have been selling from a stand where Route 1 18 meets the Harveys Lake High- way for the past five years. Cur- rently, they have tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, hot peppers, and squash. Later in the season they will have cantaloupes, gourds, and pumpkins. Marion Welliver says the peaches are particularly good this year. Norman Darling, an owner of Darling and Sons, also said they had a late start planting. “Most everything is all right,” he said. “It's just a little late because of the wet season when we started to plant. It will come in due time as always, unless something drastic happens.” Darling and Sons has been in their location on Hildebrandt Road since 1930. Despite the rough spring start this year “Weather conditions have been favorable,” Norman Darling said. “Crops seems to be growing and thriv- ing.” This year, Darling's has corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green and yellow squash, pickles, green beans, spanish onions, carrots, green onions, cabbage, and cauli- flower. See FARMERS, pg 8 Friends, family plan dance to help Paul Jobson By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - Tie up that Bolo, fluff up your skirt and prepare to Do- Si-Do. On August 14 a benefit square dance will be held at Col- lege Misericordia from 8 p,m. to All proceeds will di- rectly benefit Back Mountain na- tive Paul Jobson and his family. The Jobsons received grim news a year and a half ago, when Jobson, 35, was diagnosed with Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig's Dis- ease. Jobson and his wife, Sharon, live with their two-year-old daugh- ter, Katie, in Plains. ALS attacks the nerves in the spinal cord and brain that control muscle movement. It causes pro- gressive paralysis. The disease can progress rapidly or it can slowly deteriorate the muscles over : a very long time.: Unfortunately, there is no cure. But Jobson is ready for the fight to beat the disease. Fortu- nately he is not alone and has a whole team of family, friends and colleagues doing all they can to help him financially and with prayer. Bill Jones, one of Jobson's clos- est and oldest friends, is the dance chairperson. He describes Jobson as a “gentleman, a great husband - and father,” who does not crave sympathy or attention, but cer- tainly needs support. “Paul has a strong sense of faith and family values. He has good relationships with his friends and is working hard to do the right things to keep this disease under control. Instead of working hard as an athlete, he is working hard to beat a different oppo- nent,” said Jones. Jobson and Jones became fast friends when both were on Lake- Lehman's basketball team their “senior year. Jobson transferred from Dallas High School. “Paul played seven or eight games for Lake-Lehman (before the PIAA ruled him ineligible because of the transfer),” explained Jones. “We won the first league champi- onship in Lehman's history. We would not have won it without Paul.” Jones said Jobson prac- ' ticed with the team and really helped to raise his teammates’ spirits. “During our senior year we be- came teammates and friends for life,” said Jones, who now lives in Mountaintop. Jobson currently is employed by TOPPS Chewing Gum Inc. in Dunmore and coached girls bas- ketball at Dallas High School a few years ago. TOPPS held a raffle to benefit the Jobson family. Jobson’s su- pervisor, Frank Tilley, described Jobson as a hard worker and cou- rageous young man. “He is a fighter and he is determined not tolet this restrict him,” said Tilley. See DANCE, pg 8 . there won't be an inch of Old plant will hold 200 Jobs, and more to come What was thought useful only as warehouse instead becomes a vibrant workplace By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff DALLAS - Sometimes, things don’t work out the way they're planned. For Lynn Banta and Rick Haas, development of the former Native Textiles plant in Dallas, has turned out even better than they hoped. The couple's initial plans for the b0O-year-old brick internet service provider, a collec- tion, agency and a custom paint shop. “It’s gotten bigger, but better,” Banta said. “It’s evolving into a business /retail center.” Joe Sheldon, RLT general man- ager, has been impressed with the response to help wanted ads. “The quality of the applicants has been wonderful,” he said, both in structure included 20 to 25 retail stores and 54,000 square feet of warehouse space. But as the building takes shape, warehousing, 200 people will be employed in offices and light manufacturing in the rear portion, leav- | ing a little under 50,000 | square feet of retail and office space facing Rt. 415. “As we are talking, the trucks are on the turn- pike,” Banta said last month, as equipment for RLT Industries, a com- pany in which the couple has an ownership inter- est, prepared tomovefrom the Philadelphia area. RLT’s 15 to 20 production employees — who make custom photo gift items — will share the building with an Employees of RLT Industries are setting up shop in the former Native Textiles plant. Dave Denlinger, seated, Eddie Rome and Mary Ann Kapral will produce custom photo gift items. skills and attitude. In addition to the year-round statt, RLT hires See TWIN STACKS, pg 7 Agreement reached in Dallas fields saga By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - Three athletic fields will be built behind Dallas High | School. The anticipated agree- ment between property owners and the district was filed Monday in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. A 1,725 ft. chain-linked fence will be built around the fields, along with plant screening along some areas of the fence. District officials and property owners be- lieve the 6-foot-high fence will keep spectators from cutting through lawns to get to games. The fence will cost around $22,000. There will also be two access gates for the district's use. Gil Griffiths, superintendent, said construction will begin in mid-August and be finished by November. The fields require a year grow- ing period and will not be ready for use until next fall. Construc- tion on the fields was originally planned to begin last November. “I'm happy it’s over with. Now we can get started on what we're really suppose to be doing, getting a place where kids can participate in activities,” said Griffiths. Property owners, most of whom were represented by neighbor Atty. Bruce Phillips, opposed the Dal- las Township's decision to allow * the district to build the fields so close to their property. A survey of the property found that many of the property owners were encroaching on the district's land with gardens, fences and dog houses. Griffiths said all encroach- ments have been removed. HM Brick by brick Commemorative bricks have been placed at the entrance to the Back Mountain Memorial Library, Pg 5.” Hl Olympic link brings recognition to Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, which is Sunday. Sports. 14 Pages, 2 Section Calendar.............vii on 14 Classified............. 12-13 Crossword..............; 14 Editorials..............;«.. 4 Obituaries.........c.ve. 12 School............. Git sed 11 SpOHS......itiinil 9-10 The Dallas Post CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@aol.com 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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