2 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 3, 2001 2000 Review (continued from page 1) Rave’s Nursery in Shavertown celebrated 50 years in business. Wycallis teacher Elizabeth Faerber was honored for her 31 years of exemplary teaching. Lake-Lehman rolled over Dal- las in girls’ basketball, 51-31. January 26: On Jan. 19. a faulty valve in Sun Pipeline Co. (also known as Sun Oil) gas lines caused the spillage of approxi- mately 5,000 gallons of gasoline, which seeped into ground water and was feared to have contami- nated wells in Jackson Twp., par- ticularly the one serving the Meadowcrest development. Cleanup crews worked to contain the spillage, and Sun Oil provided bottled water to the residents while tests were made to determine the extent of the contamination. Gate of Heaven parishioners made their annual trip to Haiti to volunteer medical and educational services and bring supplies to its poverty-stricken residents. ~The Back Mountain Library received a historic 1899 Dallas Fair poster in memory of Charles and Jessie Wiant. On Jan. 19, a fire gutted a 2- family house at 112 Main St. in Dallas, leaving two college stu- dents and a young employee of Dallas Offset Paperback and her baby homeless. Another fire on Jan. 24 devastated the James Regan family home on Pioneer St. in Dallas. February 2: On Jan. 26, Mary Sue Perno shot her husband 5 times with a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver in their Kingston Twp. home, following a marital dispute. Peter Perno was admit- ted to the Scranton Community Medical Center in critical condi- tion. Contamination levels rose as the Sun Oil gasoline spillage in Jackson Twp. spread; residents voiced concerns about health risks at a public meeting. The Class of 1940 from Dallas Twp., Dallas Borough, and King- ston Twp. high schools decided to hold a joint reunion. Lake-Lehman High School held its annual students-vs.-teachers donkey basketball game; the staff won, as it had for the past 40-odd years. Proceeds from the game went to finance the senior class trip to Washington. February 9: There was an im- promptu meeting on Feb. 4 in Jackson Twp. to focus on resi- dents’ concerns about the spread- ing gasoline spill. Officials from Sun Oil Co. and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) explained what measures were being taken and answered ques- tions. Another, unrelated contami- nation situation came to light in Jackson Twp. when low levels of the industrial solvent trichloroethane (TCA) were found in some wells near American As- phalt Paving Co. The Dallas School Board mo- tioned to begin accepting bids for the sale of Westmoreland Elemen- tary School, with a minimum opening bid of $300,000. Long-distance trucking firms, particularly the Lehman-based Arthur Shelley Inc., worried about the impact of high diesel fuel prices on operating costs. Lake-Lehman seniors Sara Lozo and Jen Frank were honored by the Girls Basketball Booster Club, as was injured player Melissa DeCesaris. February 16: Foreman Burcavage unveiled a preliminary sketch for improvements to the DHS stadium to the school board. Jackson Twp. issued a morato- rium on new building permits due to the sewer system being at ca- pacity in certain areas. The former Huston's Feed Mill Martha Butler, library director, accepted an 1889 Dallas Fair poster from Atty. Charles Petrillo. It came from the collection of Mrs. Doris Wyant Harvey. on Lower Demunds Rd. in Fernbrook was slated for demoli- tion. Lake-Lehman wrestlers won the WVC Western Division title for the sixth straight year. The Lake-Lehman Lady Knights basketball team won the “Battle of the Back Mountain” by beating Dallas 44-43, placing the team in the District 2, Class AAA playoffs. February 23: At Harveys Lake, Hemlock Gardens residents and the Harveys Lake Protective Asso- ciation planned to file for a Grow- ing Greener grant to solve the problem of runoff from a gravel road that was affecting the lake's water quality. Daniel Meeker got his approval from the Dallas Twp. zoning of- ficer to install his controversial mobile home on a lot in Kunkle. Robert “Butch” Chamberlain, retired after 29 years as road su- perintendent in Kingston Twp., and who was largely responsible for clearing roads after winter storms, died of a heart attack — while shoveling snow in his drive- way. The Back Mountain High School Ice Hockey team remained undefeated with a 4-2 win against Wyoming Seminary. March 1: Members of the vari- ous Back Mountain planning com- missions started research on the potential problems stemming from the increasing growth and expan- sion in the region, looking into ways to minimize the impact of development and conserve more open space. “I'm concerned that if we keep building like we are, we will use up all the available space before too long and the character of the place will be lost,” said Sam Merrill of the Kingston Twp. plan- ning commission. In Jackson Twp. the Sun Oil gasoline spill cleanup contiriued, and the Pennsylvania DEP tried to pinpoint the source of TCA contamination in private ‘wells around the American Asphalt quarry. Shavertown Volunteer Fire Co. began making plans for the cel- ebration of its 75th anniversary on May 9. In sports, Dallas won the Dis- trict 2 Jr. High girls’ basketball championship with a record of 25-0. The Back Mountain hockey team also finished its season un- defeated, 15-0, with a 6-4 win against Wallenpaupack at the First Union arena that garnered them the inaugural Army Cup title. March 8: Kingston Twp. Su- pervisor Shirley Moyer announced her intention of running for State Representative for the 120th Dis- trict against incumbent Phyllis Mundy. Daniel Meeker riled residents again in Kunkle, this time with » his collection of discarded and rusted vehicles. which neighbors complained were an eyesore and an environmental threat. Meeker claimed the cars were important to his automotive concern. Kunkle Motors, as he used them for parts and for resale. "I don't under- stand why that's anyone's busi- ness,” he said. The Dallas school board con- sidered the practicality of the new fieldhouse being used primarily for football, to the exclusion of other sports, particularly girls’ sports: facilities for females were not included in the plans. St. Therese's church threw a Mardi Gras party; Joey DeGraba was elected King and Melissa Sabor was Queen. People dressed in costumes, there was a pot-luck supper, and St. Paul's Lutheran’s clown ministry "Jesters for Jesus” performed. March 15: The all-volunteer Back Mountain fire and ambu- lance companies were suffering from a personnel shortage. “We've been in existence since 1927, and this is the first time we've ever had to ask for volunteers,” said Russ Eyet of Dallas Fire and Ambu- lance. Foreman, Burkavage was offi- cially appointed by the Dallas school board as architects for the school renovation projects. The board was still undecided about the pool proposal, but some changes were made to the sta- dium plans which would allow for increased access by other ath- letes, including members of girls’ sports teams. Estimated cost for the stadium project was $1.9 mil- lion; construction of the fieldhouse would cost $721,625. Fifteen students from Lake-Le- hman participated in a regional science olympiad at Penn-State Wilkes-Barre and came in fifth among 30 schools. Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince in Haiti came to Gate of Heaven to talk about the plight of the Haitian poor and thank the parish for their sup- port. March 22: The owner of Hem- lock Gardens Rd. in Harveys Lake had to be found before the bor- ough could apply for the Growing Greener grant to solve the grav- elled road's runoff problem and bring it up to code. Dan Hanson, Harveys Lake councilman, said "most of the grants out there aren’t available for privately-owned roads.” A search by the Wyoming Valley Abstracting Co. determined that Ruckno Construction paid taxes on the road, but it was unclear whether Ruckno was the official owner. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Ross Elementary School renovations was to be postponed until late in the summer, due to bids being sent out by the archi- tects later than anticipated. Local officials and ambulance personnel said the closing of Nesbitt's emergency facilities would have little or no impact on the Back Mountain. Thelong-distance trucking firm of Arthur Shelley, Inc. got a tem- porary reprieve from high diesel fuel prices when customers, after reading the Feb. 9 article in the Dallas Post, offered to pay a fuel surcharge of 9-10 percent. On Mar. 18, the Daddow-Isaacs Post 672 of the American Legion in Dallas held a breakfast to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. March 29: Erma Evans of Dal- las prepared to celebrate her 100th birthday on April 6. She spoke of notable changes she witnessed in her lifetime, including the devel- opment of the automobile and the advent of indoor plumbing. “There's no secret to staying healthy all these vears.” she said. “I tried to live a clean life and a good life.” Students from Dallas and Lake- Lehman high schools won in five out of seven categories in the state competition for History Day. The students who won were to travel to Penn State's main campus to participate in the national com- petition. : Phyllis Mundy announced she would seek a 6th term as a state representative for the 120th dis- trict. Harveys Lake Borough council disputed the payment of $400.000 in sewer fees to the Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA). April 5: While sorting through donated books. Fred Krohle and Edwin Johnson. volunteers at the Back Mountain Library's Slightly Read Bookshop, found an un- marked envelope containing $1,100 in a copy of “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.” Head librarian Martha Butler and bookshop volunteer Ruth Tetschner traced the owner of the book through a name on the flyleaf. It transpired that he had recently died, so they tracked down the executor of his estate and turned over the envelope. "I suppose we could have kept the money, but that's not what we're about,” Tetschner said. The family of the book's owner rewarded the library with a donation. Jane McMichael, who worked for 15 years at the Back Mountain Library, died following a stroke. Dallas High School students presented the play “Mame,” the first time in 12 years the school put on a musical comedy. DMS student Eric Loefflad pre- pared to enter the National Geo- graphic Society geography bee. Susan J. Collini, owner of Age of Innocence and Susan's Secrets in Dallas, got together with her friend Charlee Ganny of Harveys Lake, a full-time writer and former university professor, to write the nationally-known book “Two Girl- friends Get Real About Cosmetic Surgery.” ! April 12: Dallas school board members expressed concerns about the number of property re- assessments requested by local businesses and developments whichresultedin refunds. Luzerne County's outdated property as- sessments often mean that a prop- erty owner who challenges the assessment on his or her home or business wins, which saves money for the property owner but takes money from the municipality and school district, which in turn can lead to higher millage rates. Sun Oil Co. continued to moni- tor water quality and contamina- tion levels resulting from the gaso- new ‘pumper was faithfully reproduced line spill in January. "Are we go- ing to be drinking bottled water for the rest of our lives?” asked frustrated property owner Mike Sudol at the Jackson Twp. Super- visors’ meeting. Blythe Evans. solicitor. said il a new public water supply was needed. Sun Oil would have to pick up the tab for jt. A new labor contract including raises for Jackson Twp. police officers was presented to the board of supervisors. DHS senior Matt Schweitzer was accepted to West Point. April 19: Attorney Benjamin Jones III. Solicitor for the Dallas School District, recommended Dallas band together with other school districts to sue Luzerne County over the unfairness of property assessments, which have not been updated since the early 1960s. First Union Bank opened its Back Mountain Financial Center in Dallas. A planning committee was formed and began making ar- rangements for a combined re- union of former students who at- tended Dallas Twp. High School in the 1950s. The Anthracite Scenic Trails Association was looking for vol- unteers to help clear the second mile of the Back Mountain Trail. The DMS Jazz Band left by bus for Disney World, where they were to play on the main stage at the “Disney Marketplace.” April 26: Trucksville Volun- teer Fire Co.'s Engine 56 was made famous as a model for the latest of Mattel's Matchbox "Emergency Services” collectibles. Trucksville's 1999 Ford F450/KME in every detail — even down to the Trucksville name on the side. “They were going to give it another name,” said assistant Fire Chief Bill Eck, "but we bugged them until they finally agreed to use Trucksville.” The Dallas school board ac- cepted the bid of Chilewski Enter- prises to build the bleachers in the new stadium, despite that they were not the lowest bidder, be- cause they could complete the project by the Sept. 1 deadline and the lower bidder could not. Sue Hand opened her North- eastern Pennsylvania-themed “Millennium Collection” consist- ing of 866 pieces in various media — one for each day of the year 2000 — as the culmination of three years of work. The Dallas Gridiron Club's brick sale was proving success- ful, with the expectation of 600 - 800 bricks to be sold by June 1. May 3: A new environmental group. "Defenders of Our Water- shed.” was organized by Back Mountain residents to protect the watershed lands of the former Pennsylvania Gas & Water Co. Its goalis to preserve the 40,000 acre property and. if possible, prevent development of the land. The first problem the group was faced with was finding the present owner of the property. who seemed to be anonymous. The Dallas school board de- bated the pros and cons of adding capacity seating to the new sta- dium. Superintendent Gilbert Griffiths said stadium construc- tion would begin around June 12. Angela Wagner earned her black belt at Barnes Kenpo Ka- rate in Dallas. DYB 8th grade girls won the North American Youth Basket- ball Tournament at Scranton Prep. May 10: The proposed Dallas school budget showed a spending increase of 0.7 percent, but due to the expectation of lowered rev- enues. a 4 mill tax increase was approved by board members with the exception of president Ernest Ashbridge, who felt the increase unnecessary. The "Defenders of Our Water- shed” held a meeting, hosted by the North Branch Land Trust, to discuss the $12 million sale of the former watershed land to an un- known buyer, as well as possible ideas for its preservation. Local attorney Bernard Walter was interviewed by Showtime Entertainment, which was plan- ning a documentary on a case he prosecuted while he was a former District Attorney in California. Many DHS students chose com- munity service as the basis for their completion projects, which are required for graduation by the Pennsylvania Department of Edu- cation. Students volunteered at the American Red Cross, Project Head Start, Clarks Summit State Hospital, the Little Theatre, Hos- pice, Meadows Nursing Home, and St. Joseph's Center. May 17: The Dallas School Dis- trict and Dallas PTSO announced they were sponsoring the first annual graduation night lock-in, to run from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on June 9. Students would be “locked in” all night at a party in the high school gym in order to discourage underage drinking on what is sta- tistically the biggest night for it of the year. “We hope to let them have a safe night,” said Sheri Riley, PTSO publicity director. The Lake-Lehman school board unanimously accepted the resig- nation of District Superintendent Dr. William Price. Dr. Price, who had been in the position since See 2000 REVIEW, pg 3 + LN RNY 7R(/CKSVILLE VOL FIR Trucksville firefighters posed with the real Engine 56, which was the model for a Mattel Matchbox Collectible miniature. TIMESeLEADER 607 Ship to: prior to publication. The Dallas Post ITY NEWSPAPER GROUP P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 570-675-5211 Coverage area: The Dallas Post covers the "Back Mountain" area of Luzeme County, including Dallas, Kingston, Lehman and Jackson townships, Dallas Borough, Harveys Lake and the Dallas and Lake-Lehman school districts. 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