50 Cents SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Dallas, Pennsylvania June 13 to June 19, 2001 Vol. 112. No. 24 | Graduates recall ‘good old days,’ look to life after high school By STEF BENDIK and DAN BLIDNER Special to The Dallas Post known. At the ceremony the graduates, family and friends had the pleasure of listening to speeches from class President Gordon Stransky, Janel Janiczek, President of Stu- dent Council and Salutatorian, Valedictori- an Sarah Davis, and a guest speaker from the Lake-Lehman graduating class of 1972, Barbara E. King, the Associate Dean of Stu- dent Affairs of Wilkes University. Gordon Stransky spoke of taking risks. By NANCY LEVINSON Special to The Dallas Post the Anderson Sports and Health Center at College Misericordia. Graduation festivities began when shuttle buses transported cho- rus and band members, National Honor Society ushers, teachers, friends, and fami- ly members from the high school to the cer- emony facility. The graduates were the last to shuttle over. They made a grand entrance as they descended the staircase to the gymnasium while the Dallas Senior High School Band Editor’s Note: The Dallas Post asked mem- bers of the incoming senior class at Lake- Lehman High School to write about this year’s graduation. Editor's Note: The Dallas Post asked an incoming senior at Dallas High School to write about this year’s graduation. DALLAS - For the 88 girls and 94 boys who comprised the Class of 2001 from Dal- las Senior High School, Thursday, June 7, 2001 was both a happy and a sad day. LEHMAN - The Lake-Lehman graduating class of 2001 gathered Friday to celebrate their transition from childhood to adult- Endings and beginnings were all a part of @the evening. The 40th Commencement of the Dallas played the traditional “Pomp and Circum- stance.” An audience close to 2,000 people watched the procession proudly. Senior High School was the first Dallas Se- nior High School graduation to be held at State $9 | to help Withre comple By HEATHER B. JONES Post Staff @ ir MOUNTAIN - The Back ountain Recreation Association (BMRA) received a huge boost from the state Thursday in helping make the Back Mountain Sports and Recreation Complex a reality. In the middle of a hayfield in Lehman Township, a virtual who’s who of the Back Mountain came out to cel- ebrate BMRA's $500,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR.) The grant e provide the majority of the funding 1eeded to purchase two parcels of land — a total of 130 acres — for a sports and recreation center. The land is lo- cated in Lehman Township along Out- let Road and Firehouse Road. The grant is funded through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnership Program, made possible, in part, through Governor Tom Ridge’s $650 million Growing Greener Program, the ates largest-ever environmental in- vestment. Dave Sutton, BMRA President, said the additional $200,000 of the pur- chase price should be raised by Au- gust. He said the money has been committed, but is not in-hand at the present time. Finishing the recreation park will cost approximately $15-16 million, See DALLAS, pg 7 Sutton said. When complete the park will include two basketball courts, two @ennis courts, a Little League complex See REC COMPLEX, pg 8 Penn State student on a mission in Venezuela By SANDY PEOPLES Post Correspondent ki DALLAS - Dallas resident Kevin Burkhardt arrived in Caracas, Venezuela last week as part of the Global Intern Pro- gram. This is his second trip to South America, having worked in El Salvador in 1999. Burkhardt is a senior at Penn State working on his degree in psychology. He plans to get his master’s degree in eco- nomic development. “I have three goals for this trip,” said Burkhardt. “I want to learn more about eir language, experience as much of their culture as I can in eight weeks, and help some of the people find alternative sources of income. Venezuela is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that is part of OPEC, and there is much afflu- ence associated with that. However, some of the people are still refugees suffering from the aftermath of the floods a few years ago. They still need housing and 't seem to get back on their feet.” Burkhardt has fond memories of his Twister girls Holly Keefe listened at- tentively to a speaker at the 2001 Dallas High School graduation. ii, hood. This rite passage was greatly antici- pated and now finally realized. Entering the real world, the graduates were armed with the lessons they had learned at Lake- Lehman and the courage to face the un- He spoke of such great men as Columbus and Ben Franklin who overcame adversity. He expressed his wishes for class to “ See LAKE-LEHMAN , pg 6 Rossi quits Act 50 group over deadline By HEATHER B. JONES Post Staff v4 IANS POST PHOTO/HEATHER B. JONES Molly Savage, Heather Harmen, and Laura Loeffler started their night at Dallas High School’s Grad 2001 lock-in with a little Twister. Story, more photos on page 3. LEHMAN - As promised, school board member Moderno Rossi has resigned from the Lake-Lehman Act 50 Tax Study Commission. At the JUNE 4 Lake-Lehman School Board meeting Rossi said since the commission could not make the June 8 deadline with ITS recommendation for the 2001 municipal election ballot, he would resign. “My last day on the commis- sion will be June 8,” Rossi said at the meeting. Angelo DeCesaris, school board president, said anyone re- signing from the Act 50 Commis- sion must present a letter of res- ignation to the board. Jacqueline Moran, school board secretary, said Rossi did submit a letter of resignation. Rossi's fellow members on the commission weren't pleased with See ROSSI, pg 8 16 Pages, 2 Sections Calendar Renovation of previous trip to a Latin American coun- try. “I really like the warmth of the peo- ple. They are very hospitable and welcom- ing.” He hopes to make a difference and to help them pave the way for future de- velopment and to gain some relief from their current plight. “I don’t know exactly what I'll be doing, but that doesn’t mat- ter,” he said. “When I went to El Salvador, I had ex- pectations that I would do great things for the people of Colima. What really hap- pened was a major advancement in my own personal growth. That experience gave me much more than I think I con- tributed.” Kevin said he now has a greater appre- ciation for the way people live in Dallas. “In the future I would like to work for an international company or the government and live in South America for a few years,” he said. Burkhardt's parents, Linda and Richard, are very supportive of their son’s goals and mission, but like all parents, are a little apprehensive. “They worry middle school 1S underway By HEATHER B. JONES Post Staff DALLAS - After 32 years, a com- plete overhaul of the Dallas Middle School has begun. Asbestos abate- ment began at the school building Monday at 7 a.m., and the Dallas School Board approved bids for the additions and alterations to the school at its meeting Monday night. The price tag for the project is $13,159,578, which includes all alter- KEVIN BURHKARDT about me,” he said, “but I want to come home to tell the story of the needs down there, and they helped me do that when I returned from El Salvador.” natives that went out for bid except the plaster swimming pool. The extra items which were approved include See MIDDLE SCHOOL, pg 8 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dalpost@epix.net 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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