C Vol. 111 No. 28 Dallas, Pennsylvania By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Staff TRUCKSVILLE - His favorite food is ice cream and he loves Tarzan. Sasha, a bright, good-looking 8-year-old, splashes in a pool in Trucksville, frol- icking in the summer summer sun in the same way any American kid would. But Sasha, whose real name is Alexander, has another mission. Sasha is a Russian orphan, and he wants a real home, a real mom and dad, a family he can call his own. Sasha comes here through an Ameri- can program called “Kidsave”( www.kidsaveinternational.org) that ev- ery summer places Russian orphans in American homes with the hope that the children might be adopted by an Ameri- can family. Barbara Kryger and hus- band Brunon, Kingston, the regional coordinators of the program for the past three years, arrange the five-week stay for the families and children. This summer 24 children have come to the U.S. The Krygers themselves have one adopted child and three natural chil- dren. “When you host a child you are POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Zack Harvey of Trucksville, left, frolicked in the pool with 8-year-old Sasha, a Russian orphan who is staying in Pennsylvania for five weeks this summer while families decide if they can adopt him. Several children are guests in homes in the Back Mountain. Orphaned children visit in quest for a fresh start, loving families responsible to invite as many families as possible to meet the child,” says Gina Major Ackerman, Dallas, a prospective adoptive parent, and host family to Sasha. Gina's own story of the adoption process is interesting, unusual, and as yet unfinished. Neither Bill nor Gina Ackerman have See ADOPTION, pg 3 Newspaper Since 1889 The Dallas Post SIS SAVAIN ICTR o | =RGIG1\V/I\V IS] NI HEI =SSN@ 1 =i lw | =H B VAN BN BANS TS WAY 4 =51 =) | \V ANN BST 01 5 [0 [@] BE BI ISH Bl 21 [63 BS POST PHOTO/BILL GOODMAN Bishop David Strobel and Pastor Charles Grube stand before the site of the new altar. St. Paul's breaks ground for new church By BILL GOODMAN Post Staff SHAVERTOWN - Next year, the con- gregation of St. Paul's Lutheran Church will have a bigger, more accessible place to worship after 75 years in its current location across from Gordon's Insurance. “The new building is going to be a wonderful tool for the ministry,” said Charles Grube, pastor of the church. Finding the new property was, in, Grube’s words, “a fortuitous event.” The property search committee looked at sev- eral different plots, and the new grounds and building will give the church more room for growth and visibility. The con- gregation was in favor of the move, and acceptance was above 90 percent, said Phil Dale, a member of the congregation. Although the process started before Middle school roof to be fixed Q Building will be replaced in two years, but repairs “can't wait, board decides By BILL GOODMAN Post Staff LEHMAN - The Lake-Lehman board of school directors has authorized the re- pair of the the aging roof on the middle level building. In an 8-1 vote, the board authorized $48,322 to redo the gymna- sium, kitchen and shop areas. Stanley NF hel Moser, Director of Building and Grounds and architect Douglas Trumbower both stated that the roof could not be patched again. Robert Allardyce cast the lone vote against the replacement, saying that the matter should be looked into. “The roof is bad,” said Robert Roberts, interim superintendent of schools. “It’s been patched to the point where it can’t be patched anymore.” The building, said Roberts, would be around for at least two years. Until has recent appointment as interim superintendent, Roberts was prin See ROOF, pg 8 May of 1995, that was just the date the congregation voted to move and build a new church. Since then, the members of the church formed committees to select new grounds, an architect, and a builder. A committee was also formed to look into financing the move. “It was a very inten- sive process,” said Joe Hardisky, a mem- ber of the design committee, and a mem- ber of the church since 1972. The current church is limited by space both inside and out. “We ended up Andy Chacko accepted his gold medal. His wife, Rita, stood behind him. That's Miss Texas on the left. hanging curtains between Sunday School classrooms,” said Hardisky. The new property in Dallas Township has 11 acres of space compared to the two acres in Shavertown the church currently owns. The current church was builtin 1926, and some additions and renovations have been made during those 74 years. The congregation did look into renovating and adding to the building, but that wasn't practical given the space on the current property. Any expansion would have cut into the already limited parking. Still, the transition won't be without some pain. “The congregation has always been concerned with the building. A lot has happened here. Leaving here won't be easy,” said Grube. The new building will be bigger in See ST. PAUL'S, pg 8 Disabled veterans bring home medals Andy Chacko and Dan Conte came home from the 20th Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games with some gold and silver draped around their necks. Chacko, 68, of Dallas, placed first in the ramp bowling competition, and sec- ond in both the motorized, hand-con- trolled slalom and motorized wheelchair rally. Conte, 52, of Harveys Lake, won two gold medals, one each in ramp bowl- ing and motorized wheelchair rally. He See VETS, pg 8 50 cents July 19, 2000 thru July 25, 2000 One town’s rec park a model for SUCCESS Editor's Note: As plans progress for a regional recreation park in the Back Moun- tain, The Dallas Post will occasionally take a look at recreational facilities in similar communities. By BILL GOODMAN Post Staff SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. - Recre- ational parks, no matter their size, can be a success with proper planning, said Mark Dougherty, South Abington Town- ship supervisor. The recreational park in South Abington Township near’ Clarks Summit was designed to be used by all age groups. “I see people there every day on my way to work,” The park is open all year, and features fields for baseball, softball and soccer leagues, volleyball courts, and walking trails. Dougherty said the community uses the park as well for picnics and church services. Local schools use the park for field trips. For South Abington Township, the design of the park came first and the planners decided to build the park in phases. After almost 10 years, construc- tion of the park is almost complete. A splash fountain for children willbe added next year. The fountain cost almost $150,000, and the park received a $25,000 grant through former State Rep- resentative Frank Serafini’s office. “Most of the park was built with state grants,” said Dougherty. The community also has fund drives that bring in almost $30,000 a year. South Abington Town- ship also contributes between $20,000 and $30,000 a year. The park land is owned by the Penn- sylvania Turnpike Commission, the Abington Heights School District and South Abington Township, and the walk- ing trails are leased from the Theta Land Corporation. Park supervisors have worked with the township and the turn- pike for easements. “The owners of the land have always been very supportive of the park,” said Dougherty. After the fountain is complete, Dougherty said he would like to see more See PARK, pg 8 14 Pages, 2 Sections Calendar................... 14 Classified............. 12-13 Crossword................ 14 Editonals..........c.csocons. 4 Obituaries........ccc....... 2 School..........coooiingerss 11 SPOrS.....iui hides 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@epix.net 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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