Vol. 110 No. 2 NE Dallas, Pennsylvania * Newspaper Since 1889 SI EAA NCR Eg I=NeI@l\VI\VISINIRRI=CHO] =i lo | 5 BVAVE WARSI. @ WAY (=H Se LV ANNES ol s [0]0 | MB ISH = 1 [01 ES January 13 thru January 19, 1999 School board restores in-school suspension program By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff ® DALLAS - The in-school suspension program that was cut short last year due to debate over payment has been reacti- vated by a 6-2 vote at the Dallas School Board meeting Monday. The program will serve grades 6 through 12 and will be held the remain- der of the semester at the old Kingston Township High School next to the admin- istration building. Last year, the teachers’ union argued that since the program required the moni- tor be a certified teacher, he or she must ‘be paid a wage comparable to that of a first-year teacher with benefits. Gil Griffiths, superintendent of schools, told the board that the state Department of Education determined in November that monitors do not have to be certified teachers. Therefore, for 90 days of ser- vice, a monitor will be paid $7,710, in- cluding individual insurance. Students will be given academic pack- ets and assignments from their teachers to work on during their time in suspen- sion. Board member Ellen Nagy explained why she voted against the recommenda- tion. “A meaningful in-school suspen- sion has to have an educational ele- ment,” she said. Nagy believes having a teacher with the students will help change their attitudes. Board president John Litz echoed her statement. Michael Speziale, assistant superin- tendent, briefed the board on the senior completion project. All seniors must complete a project, either with a group or as an individual, in order to graduate. Speziale said students begin their projects as sophomores to give them sufficient time to complete the requirement. Also, the newly formed Parents Advi- sory Council will meet January 25 at 6 p.m. in the administration building. In other business, the board discussed plans for a new $30,000 maintenance/ storage building. Mark Kraynack, super- intendent of buildings and grounds, de- scribed his current. storage digs as See DALLAS, pg 8 Family thankful for Rikki Sue's recovery Finally, winter POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Simone Allen and Katie Bartizek trudged back up a sliding hill Saturday afternoon. The weekend snow gave children of all ages their first chance to test sleds and snowboards. “ . » By KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Post Staff TRUCKSVILLE - After braving months of intense skin grafting and treatment for burns endured during a house fire last March, Rikki Sue Shotwell is doing “re- ally well,” said her grandmother, Debbie Mitchell. Rikki Sue celebrated her sixth birthday last week with her family and is now attending kindergar- ‘ten at Dallas Elementary. “She is the sweetest little girl. I . thank God every day she’s here to have her sixth birthday,” said Mitchell. No one has been charged for the arson fire that destroyed Rob- ert Shotwell’'s home in Shaver- town and left his and Colleen Gornik’s daughter in critical con-_ dition. Although the redness on her tender skin is beginning to pale, Rikki Sue is still in the midst of recovery. Twice a month she re- turns to St. Christopher's Children’s Hospital in Philadel- phia for checkups and to get fitted for the skin-tight pressure suit she must wear 24 hours a day, seven days a week (with a two- hour exception at bath time). The fitted body suit is intended to assure that her skin grafts heal correctly, leaving her skin as smooth as possible. Mitchell ex- plained that the fitted suit must be put on slowly, inch by inch. Every three months Rikki Sue . Mother Nature gives Butch Chamberlain a big sendoff 3 ) £ i) @ SQ pb Kingston Township road superintendent retiring after 29 years By KYLIE SHAFFER KOETTER Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. - Back Moun- tain residents, it's time to meet someone whose work you know well. Robert “Butch” Chamber- lain, who has served as the town- ship road superintendent for 29 years, will be retiring next Friday. He has plowed your roads and salted your streets year afteryéar, storm dfter storm. As many folks nestle down for a comfortable night of sleep, counting the fluffy snow- flakes as they fall, Chamberlain and his crew are just beginning a "long shift of work. In the cold, in the snow. “. This: past weekend, Mother Nature gave Chamberlain her own ‘sendoff party of sorts. With con- stant snow, sleet and rain, Cham- berlain-did not have the privilege of riding out his last two weeks in the warm Public Works Facility office. Friday night he and his crew of six men worked until 6 p.m., then went back out at midnight until 6:30 a.m., and then returned to - the roads at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, working until 6 p.m. Chamberlain says he will not miss keeping hours like that. “I'm just getting to the point where I m tired of getting up at three or four in'the morning to see if it s snow- ing,” said the 64-year-old. “I just v » . » IZ wr had my belly full of it. Summer- time is nice, wintertime gets hard.” Chamberlain married his high school sweetheart, the former Lorraine Harrison of Shavertown, in 1958. Five months later he was drafted into the army and served | two years. Upon his return, the Kingston Township High School graduate, began as a part-time truck driver at the township, earning $2.75 an hour. Before long he was the road superintendent. It was a lot easier back then. “We didn t have half the people or halftheroads,” herecalled. “Those were the days when people out in Carverton (the country) knew they might be stuck indoors for a couple days.” There were, after all, only two trucks. Today the township POST PHOTO/KYLIE SHAFFERKOETTER Robert "Butch" Chamberlain is riding the roads for his last week as road superintendent in Kingston Twp. He will retire Jan. 22 after 29 years on the job. has seven trucks to cover the 178 roads that make up 43 miles. During Chamberlain's first coupleyears, the road crew worked out of a pole barn in Carverton. It was a cold, metal garage with a tiny coal furnace serving as the only source of heat. Fortunately, in 1972, the Pub- lic Works Facility was built with a two-bay, heated garage. In 1997, the township extensively ex- panded the building. Along with the times, people change too. “Today if youre not on the road by the time the first snowflake falls, people are hollering. These days people have careers they need to get to,” said Chamberlain, who admits with a sly smile that he will probably make similar calls himself once’ he retires. And after he retires next week, Chamberlain plans to take a trip to Florida, take day trips with his wife, work on the house and take care of his cars. Donald Fritzges, who has worked on the crew for 25 years, will take over as road superinten- dent. As Chamberlain retires, he knows he has nothing to worry about because he is confident the township road crew is one of the best. “I have to give credit to all my men. Your men are what make you look good,” Chamberlain said. “We pave our own streets and everything. The townships down- town couldn’t shine our shoes,” he boasted. In addition to Cham- berlain and Fritzges, Mike Gold- smith, Larry Commings, Jack Klata, Chuck Woolbert and Bill Eck make up the Kingston Town- ship road crew, Woolbert said, “It's been great working with him since 1978. We've had some good times and I'm sorry to see him go. I think he ought to stay a few more years.” Jeff Box, township manager, said Chamberlain's quality ser- See "BUTCH" pg 8 is measured for a new suit. She gets two new suits every month because she is a growing six-year- old and it is essential that the suits remain tight. After news of the fire reached the Back Mountain community, A smiling Rikki Sue at Christmas. funds were immediately set up to help Rikki Sue and her family by a number of different organiza- tions. Donation cans with Rikki Sue's picture could be seen on store counters like Big Apple Ba- gels and at Orloski’'s. The com- munity came together to take care of one of its young member in need. “Her family appreciated every- See RIKKI SUE, pg 8 14 Pages, 2 Sections Calendar..................s 14 Classified............: 12-13 Crossword .......n i 14 Editorials... ...iudha us 4 Obituaries..........al... 12 SCHOO. Ln vinions 10 SPOS. iit: 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
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers