50 cents SIS AVANCE = =O LV \VIS IHNEN OI =i Hl = | =H B VAY HANS IS WA {= HM =o VY VANES 0] = [O10] BI ISH ER { [OA BS Dallas, Pennsylvania Vol. 112. No.3 January 17 to January 23, 2001 POST PHOTO/ELIZABETH SKRAPITS “Sled dogs” pulled Zack Casterline along the “Iditarod” race course at Lake-Noxen School last week. Third graders participated in the fourth annual local race, which is patterned after the famous Alaskan marathon. Along with having fun, students learn about Alaskan climate, culture and geography. “Dogs” are, from left: Ethan Shaw, Michael Snyder and Autumn Galka. From Anchorage to Nome to Harveys Lake Jd Lake-Noxen Elementary holds 4th annual ‘Iditarod’ race By ELIZABETH SKRAPITS Post staff HARVEYS LAKE - “Mush, Mary, mush!” A group of children hollered and waved a big hand-lettered sign as a dark-haired girl whooshed past them on a sled drawn by a pack of her classmates. Groups of students — “sled dogs” pulled sleds with “mushers” around the el- ementary school on a special course, flashing past the cheering lines of children and around cones and trail-markers and giant snow- balls. The fourth annual Lake- Arts Alive brought art to life for * Kelley Adams By ELIZABETH SKRAPITS Post Staff DALLAS - “It was just amazing what we could do in a month. I loved it ... I can’t say enough,” & Kelley Adams told the school board at a recent meeting. Kelley, a senior at Dallas High, went to University of Scranton’s Arts Alive program over the sum- mer and brought back a portfolio of work in different media — and a lot of new knowledge and experi- ence, not to mention enthusiasm. She came to the meeting to thank the board for sending her to the program, and to share her experi- ences. % Kelley brought several pieces of her artwork and lined them up for an informal art show, explaining how her professor at the program encouraged her and the other stu- dents to “go out into the world and look at things as we see them, not as they really are.” The students worked in the classroom, but of- ten went out on campus with i» viewfinders and were told to draw things as they saw them, no mat- ter how unorthodox. 1% ~ Lake-Noxen teacher, local “Iditarod” founder Noxen Iditarod was in full swing. The Iditarod is based on the original Alaskan one held each year in March, which commemo- rates the 1925 race to get diphthe- ria serum from Anchorage to Nome. Mr. Jud Holdredge, a Title One reading teacher at Lake-Noxen, is its organizer, which is appropri- ate, because he is a dues-paying member of the committee for the real race. “Growing up | heard about dog racing, and I thought it was neat,” he said. “I love animals, and dogs are my favorite. They - listen well.” Mr. Holdredge learned more about the Iditarod as an adult when he made a trip to Alaska, where he met a famous musher, Susan Boucher, and got to see sled dogs in action. Mr. Holdredge explained each team began the race with 16 dogs and ended up with five. There are checkpoints along the course with 21 veteri- narians at each to make sure the dogs are all right, but there is only one doctor for the mushers. “Know how much a good race dog is worth?” he asked. “Priceless.” Mr. Holdredge was so enthusi- astic about Alaska in general and the Iditarod in particular he ran the idea of teaching it in elemen- tary school past the principal, who gave him the OK. It's been an annual event since then, one stu- dents and teachers alike enjoy participating in. “Ithink it’s great they do it every year,” said Mary Kocher. “My daughter did it last year, and she still remembers all her facts about Alaska.” She said her daughter, Amanda, who is now in the fourth grade, had fun being the lead dog for her team. “Kids look forward to coming to third grade,” said Mrs. Susan Young, one of the teachers in- volved in the program. Third grade is when the students actually get See IDITAROD, pg 12 A What’s next for Nextel? A Kingston Twp. Planning Commission recommends denial By ELIZABETH SKRAPITS Post staff KINGSTON TWP. - After months of hearings, a parade of witnesses, and visits to the proposed tele- communication tower site, the Kingston = Twp. Planning Commisssion voted 4-1 to deny approval of Nextel Partners’ condi- tional use application to the board of supervisors. Michael Gavin, attorney for Nextel Partners, opened his clos- ing arguments onJan. 9 with quite an understatement. “This has been along process for all of us,” he said to the commission, thanking them for their patience in “listening to evidence that makes your eyes glaze over — I know mine would.” William Anzalone, attorney for the protesting property owners, began his own closing arguments similarly, commenting on how the planning commission was owed a debt of credit for putting in long hours without pay. “You gentle- men deserve a merit badge,” he said. Gavin's summation was precise, reasoned, and brief, lasting about 15 minutes. Anzalone’s was also precise, but it was much more impassioned and stretched the allotted half hour. Both attorneys gave a rundown of evidence pre See NEXTEL, pg 3 Dallas High School will get new ass’t principal J Board also votes to raise pay for substitutes By ELIZABETH SKRAPITS Post staff DALLAS TWP. - The high school will be getting a new assistant principal before long, according to a motion passed unanimously at Monday night’s school board meet- ing. As soon as James McGovern can be released from his current position as assistant principal at Stroudsburg North Campus High School, he will come to Dallas. Paul Reinert, who had formerly filled the position, has gone over to the middle school to become its first assistant principal in over 16 years. He is working on his doctor- ate at Marywood; according to Superintendent Gilbert Griffiths, Reinert wants to garner more middle-school experience, plus he thought it would be a change of POST PHOTO/ELIZABETH SKRAPITS Kelley Adams, a Dallas High School senior, stood in front of some of her artwork. She credits Arts Alive, a summer program, with spurring her creativity. “He taught us a different way of looking at things, and a different approach,” she said, drawing the board’s attention to one of the paintings she said was a “portion of a hedge.” Another showed an upside-down tree; yet another was an abstract of dancers, “exploring space.... we were told to show the movement and flow of the danc- ers.” During another class, students sat on the floor for an hour listen- ing to Mussorgsky and drawing with their eyes closed. They spent two classes working on portraits of their classmates, where Kelley said her teacher told the students to “Convey them in the way we know them.” She said her portrait of her friend Eric was one of her favorite works. During the course, the students also experimented with other me- dia, such as fabric and different kinds of paint, and were told to try different styles. “See how you can make things look different,” Kelley said she was told. “We did an exercise with balance, making a composition with circles, squares and triangles, and making it bal- ance,” she said, showing the re- sult. She emphasized again how much she enjoyed the course and how much she gained from it: “It was terrible sometimes, but I learned a lot.” And, she joked, “It was really difficult for me to go back to painting in a realistic style!” The Arts Alive program enables students to take an intensive- month long course in whichever of the fine arts they excel in, such as music, dance, and visual arts. Kelley selected the latter, opting to focus on painting. She has taken private art lessons since she was about 5 years old, and has studied with Sue Hand in Dallas, where she herself teaches a childrens’ art class on Thursdays. Kelley learned about the Arts Alive program through her art teacher at DHS, Mrs. Claire Mor- ris. “Mrs. Morris asked me if I wanted to go,” Kelley said. “They sent two kids last year, and they See ARTS ALIVE, pg 3 scenery. The board passed a motion to increase the rate of pay for substi- tute teachers to $75 per day for up to 29 days of service, $80 per day thereafter. Substitute rates are currently $60 per day, $65 after 30 days. It is hoped the higher rates will attract more substitute teachers, as they are becoming increasingly hard to find. Jim Keene, a structural engi- neer with Foreman, Burkavage, said a structural analysis of the middle school roof has been done, and it was determined that 16 of its structural beams were over- stressed, four of them beyond the allowable limit. “We haven't seen a roof failure, but we've seen a few roof leaks over the years,” he said. The beams, most of which are at the edge of the auditorium and on the second floor, will need to be reinforced with additional steel. Paul DeGillio, Foreman, Burkavage See DALLAS, pg 3 12 Pages, 1 Section Calendar Classified Editorials Obituaries 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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