ho ¥ 50 Cents SIS SAV INCRE ETS COMMUNITIES [©] SH I | =H BD VA VARS I VAN (=F LEHMAN Ye tele BIH E={[0F BS Vol. 109 No. 37 By MEIRA ZUCKER _ Post Correspondent BACK MOUNTAIN - This week, residents of the Back Mountain will receive questionnaires from a new organization, The Back Moun- tain Recreational Center Ad Hoc Committee. The responses are sought in order to assess whether thereis interest in building a com- prehensive recreational facility in the region. Dr. Gil Griffiths, Superinten- dent of the Dallas School District, says on behalf of the entire com- mittee that he hopes people re- turn their surveys. “At this point, we're surveying to find actual needs,” says Griffiths. “Our first goal is getting the survey out,” says Kathleen Sav- age, in charge of committee pub- licity. In addition to being mailed, copies of the questionnaire will be sent home with elementary and middle school students in the two school districts. Twenty people — business per- sons, parents, educators — serve Dallas, Pennsylvania on the committee. They represent 10 municipalities, generally bounded by Sweet Valley, Harveys Lake, Eighth Street and the rock cut, and the Dallas and Lake- Lehman school districts. The group first met in May. Other members include Gary Baker, in charge of government, politics, and grants; Joan Makowski, in charge of planning; and Will Conyngham, in charge of prop- erty. The mailing itself represented a collection of gifts and donated time. An anonymous benefactor Fair weather friends Colin Breazeale and Shane Snyder of Shavertown took aim Saturday at a game at the Luzerne County Fair. Fairgoers enjoyed sunny skies and mild temperatures during the five-day run last week. POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK For more photos, please turn to page 7. PSU Wilkes-Barre gears up for high-tech future By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff LEHMAN - Heading into its 30th year at the Lehman campus, Penn State continues to improve what it can offer the students. Dr. Mary Hines, executive director, said she is excited about new programs aimed to offer more to the student. Penn State has received a $350,000 per year grant from the federal Department of Education. The five-year grant, called “Im- proving and Strengthening Higher Education Institutions,” will help the university focus more on gen- eral education, curriculum devel- opment for information science and technology, and increased student support in writing and mathematics. Penn State is exploring the pos- sibility of offering information sci- ence and technology tracks. “This is the response of the Penn State system to the need for a highly Land Trust to celebrate opening of new office By MEIRA ZUCKER Post Correspondent TRUCKSVILLE - After years of operating out of a small home office, the Back Mountain Regional Land Trust is throwing an open house at their new Trucksville headquarters Saturday, Sept. 19 from 2-5 p.m. Ice cream and cake will be served, and gifts, including a walking stick hand-carved by Marshall Rumbaugh, will be raffled off. “We're now in a business loca- tion and it's easier for people to come in,” says Linda Thoma, ad- ministrator and the sole paid employee of the organization. She is eager to show off the new office and its donated computers and furniture. The BMRLT is there to serve the community, and this office makes that goal much easier, she said. Ellen Alaimo serves as Presi- dent of the BMRLT board. “I re- member a time when towns were towns,” says Alaimo. The urban sprawl of poorly-planned devel- opment contributes to the decay of downtowns, she believes. As businesses and homes randomly spread throughout the region, downtowns, and the need to go downtown, are diminished. Dr. Doug Ayers, Vice-President of the BMRLT board, says “were getting inundated with ease- ments.” Putting a land-use ease- ment onto a piece of property, says Alaimo, is similar to having a See LAND TRUST, pg 8 trained work force,” said Hines. Also, the university has launched a facility master plan- ning process, in which staff from Lehman and University Park cam- BACK MOUNTAIN | REGIONAL LAND puses will look at the facilities to see if they are adequate for the current enrollment. Hines said enrollment has increased slightly over the past two years. Approximately 830 students will attend Penn State in Lehman this year. Hines wants the com- munity to know that they have Penn State in their own back yard. “We have your size. A small cam- pus at a medium cost and a large See PENN STATE, pg 8 POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK Linda Thoma, exective director of the Back Mountain Regional Land Trust, posed proudly in front of the organization's new office in Trucksville, which gets three marked parking spots, too. a September 16 thru September 22, 1998 Survey begins a for regional recreation center gave the funds for printing and mailing. The Dallas Swim Parents and swimmers spent five nights folding surveys and addressing envelopes. Mail Boxes, Etc. do- nated the box to receive mailed responses. Students from Dallas Elementary School decorated drop-off boxes with depictions of different sports and athletes. Fourteen Back Mountain busi- nesses have volunteered spots for drop-boxes. Funding, of course, presents both a challenge and an opportu- 3 Back Mountain Recreation Center nity. “Ten municipalities can ap- ply as a block for recreation grants,” reports Griffiths, “Kingston did it 20 years ago.” The committee has started the process of developing the applica- tion for a tax-free designation so that people are able to donate money, says Griffiths. The state will help with the planning pro- cess, he adds. The potential uses for the pro-- posed multi-purpose facility are See REC CENTER, pg 8 Boosters want band treated like sports By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff LEHMAN - Chuck Boice, presi- dent of the Lake-Lehman Band Sponsors, questions why the band is not treated to the same finan- cial freedom as the football team. If the band travels more than 50 miles, it must cover the transpor- tation cost of the entire trip. “But, what I don’t understand is why it is okay to travel 90 miles to attend a football game. I don’t think it is fair that when we want to go to competitions outside the area we have to pay, yet when we travel with the football team we don’t,” Boice told the school board last Thursday. Boice said the Lake-Lehman Band Sponsors spent $3,500 on transportation costs last year. “This year I was advised that we cannot go over $2,500 because we are having problems raising of Harveys Lake, funds.” He said Lake-Lehman must travel outside the area be- cause many local bands are not large enough to compete against. Last year the sponsors raised money that was spent on instruc- tors, new music and rental in- struments, in addition to trans- portation. Boice said only three competitions would be out of the 50 mile radius this year. John Oliver, Lake-Lehman High School principal, said he thinks the band needs and deserves more support. Dr. William Price, su- perintendent, said the board would look into it. In other business, the board hired new teachers. Jeff Hynick elementary physical education teacher, $29,070; Jill Broadnix of Newtown Square, special education, $29,070; and Catherine Becker of See LAKE-LEHMAN, pg 8 SAT scores, drug tests bring smiles at Dallas By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff DALLAS - “I'll match the top kids with anybody's,” Jack Wolensky told the school board Monday. His confidence comes from the fact that Dallas Senior High is ranked number two in the county for SAT scores. The Hazleton School District holds the top spot. Dallas’s average score of 1034 is above both the national and state averages of 1017 and 992, respectively. Wolensky, a guid- ance counselor and, the athletic director, commended the stu- dents, faculty and parents for the results. Aileah Kvashay earned a 1480 on the test, making her a National Merit Scholar candidate. In other business, Patrick Patte and Rocco Yanora will serve as volunteer assistant football coaches for the senior high. The board accepted the resignation of Karen Wall as field hockey assis- tant in charge. Joyce Tinner was hired for the position at a salary of 81,728 and Kelly Killeen as an. assistant at $1,447. ol] Seventeen athletes passed the first round of random drug test- ing with flying colors. Dr. Gil Griffiths, superintendent, was proud to report that all drug tests came out negative. Also, Mark Kraynack, superin- tendent of buildings and grounds, sent out letters to all activity di- rectors concerning the recent - string of school alarm trips. Ev- eryone from the driver's educa- tion teacher to the band has acci- dentally tripped the alarms and it's costing money. ‘ In August and the first weeks of See DALLAS, pg 8 BW Art for the kids Kristy Rice aims to teach art by showing how it's done, and she's done a lot. Pg 3. HB Good week for Back Mountain teams. Lake-Lehman football, Dallas soccer photos in sports. 14 Pages. 2 Soctions. Calendar......ccc..ic.o-x 14 Classified............ 12-13 Crossword................ 14 Editorials.............o%.5. 4 Obituaries................. 12 SCHOO)... ... uieinis 1] SPOS. oii di 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@aol.com The Dallas Post 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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