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Dallas, Pennsylvania
The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889
Dec. 27, 2001 to Jan. 2, 2002
United We Stand
Vol. 112. No. 52
SERVING THE COMMUNITIES
SPORTS
Dallas High soccer holds
annual (cold) alumni game. Pg 9.
SCHOOL
Oktoberfest celebrated at Dallas
Middle School. Pg 11.
50 Cents
(oJ J 2 3 » WY I NE SO BW (VN fod Mo No NR NE =F oh
COMMUNITY
Meadows Nursing Center
honors volunteers. Pg 35.
+ Castle Inn
sets holiday
table for
homeless
Ld Cheflowner responds
to situation not seen
in his native Iceland
By SANDY PEOPLES
Post Correspondent
DALLAS - “To me, it’s like opening my
house and welcoming my guests,” said
Valgardur “Omar” Hallsson, owner of
the Castle Inn in Dallas. This was the
County targets
school district,
says solicitor
By ELIZABETH ANDERSON
Post Correspondent
LEHMAN - Peter Savage, Lake-Lehman school board
solicitor, said several municipalities had not been con-
tacted by the Luzerne County Assessors Office, regarding
the county's recent suggestion that the board and local
municipalities bear the cost of hiring appraisers to handle
property assessment appeals. The county has always tak-
en that responsibility in the past.
Savage called the whole scheme “jaded” if it did not in-
clude all district municipalities. Reduced property tax as-
sessments are becoming a troublesome predicament af-
fecting school districts in the entire county.
Savage reported at last month’s board meeting that the
county had proposed, for the first time, the school district
carry the majority of the cost burden of hiring a certified
appraiser for testimony and appraisal purposes in future
reassessment appeals, with local municipalities sharing a
y .10th year he has provided dinner on smaller portion. Deciding to further investigate the issue,
Christmas Eve for more than 250 area Savage found several municipalities also received the let-
people who are homeless. Hallsson ter from the county, but many had never been contacted,
served an elegant buffet meal consisting :
of ham, chicken, beef, salad, mashed See COUNTY TARGETS, pg 7
La potatoes, gravy, vegetables, bread, bev-
erages and dessert. Preparing a meal of
this magnitude is no easy task. Band supporters ask
“I have many helpers now,” he said. In
the beginning, Hallsson paid his staff to :
help with the dinner. “Now I have a lot
of help from a lot of people. Pastor Stan SC 00 oar or c p
Hamilton from Hands of Hope in Wilkes-
Barre helps with the guest list. The
Emanuel Bus Company provides the By ET ANDen SON
® buses and drivers to bring the people
J out here from Wilkes-Barre. I do all of LEHMAN - Lake-Lehman High School Concert Band
' the cooking, and some wonderful people i Omar Hallsson, members and sponsors packed the room at the December
Br a Lake an Delias Lions 1 have a roof over my owner and chef 18 school board meeting, requesting the board help them
i wanis Club and ars ne together to head, and I'm lucky y the Cosme fie mus to hold practices for important
help me serve and clean up. enough to be able to give np, Jas mn Edward Richards, music director, informed the band
Hallsson has a very special reason for ; preparing tie the previous Tuesday that the Indoor Guard and Percus-
pone hes on hid homeless on something to peop le fare for the day, sion would not be taking place in the 2001-2002 school
ris mas Eve, 2 ost of ny guests are tr” above. At left, ear as he was stepping down from the responsibility be-
children,” he said. “When I came to this who need it. Devin was so ink of personal La Ni Without a director, the stu-
wih Years io Crops one o Omar Hallsson excited he could dents will be unable to practice and prepare for competi-
€ ridges over the Susquenanna an Castle Inn hardly eat. The tions in which they have done quite well in the past. Vol-
saw people living under the bridge. children had unteer coaches cannot hold practices without the super-
There are no homeless in my native Ice- : ; : vision of an employee of the school district due to liability
land. I was shocked and couldn't believe children smile.” just been told iSsUes
what I was seeing. I have a roof over my “Year after year, Omar hosts this great Santa was on The bana and sponsors asked the board to Sreile posi-
head, and I'm lucky enough to be able function,” said Pastor Hamilton. “He his way. tiohs for. a Director of Indoor Guard and a Director of In-
POST PHOTOS/ !
[OTs someriag e people who need 1 See HOMELESS, pg 7 SANDY EEOPLES door Percussion and make two current volunteer coaches
See BAND, pg 7
| "Land Trust notes progress, plans future
16 Pages, 2 Sections
Calendar..........ccessseainm 16
By M.B. GILLIGAN “ 1 re
ly MB SLLICA One of our goals is to Joster CIaSEIiem. ....oorrersertr 13-15
an understanding of how to Crossword.............ccueves 10
DALLAS - The North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) : EQHOMBIS........occoiisiiaci cones 6
organization named Marlyne Lipfert the Volunteer develop prop erty Se or Obituanes...............cconis 2
of the Year at its annual potluck holiday dinner. sustainable growth. ” SCHOOL... iis ive reinsrummsasntene 11
Nearly 70 members enjoyed dinner, speakers, Sports 9-10
nd a presentation about the group’s Noxen Rail- Doug Ayers EER = 1 0 C SEE Ae. |
@.. Station rehabilitation project when they met President, North Branch Land Trust
at Merrick Hall on the campus of College Miseri- ————— OI ok eTO-S2I1
cordia. and constant development without planning for NEWS OR ADVERTISING
“Selecting our group to volunteer with was a big the future. “Currently, 2 percent of Pennsylvania E-mail: dallaspost@leader.net
decision for her,” said executive director Linda is being developed every five years,” explained
Thoma of Lipfert, a retired Environmental Protec- Doug Ayers, VMD, one of the original members
tion Agency employee. “Once she made the com- and the president of the organization. “One of our 2
mitment she jumped right in and now I rely heavi- goals is to foster an understanding of how to de-
ly on her. She has unending patience, spends velop property for sustainable growth. We are
countless hours in the office, and is wonderful at working with individuals and municipalities to GC
@ umber crunching and creating and following pro- teach them how to develop in order to retain the =
A ocol” beaaty of Pa.” POST PHOTO/M.B. GILLIGAN 3
The Back Mountain Land Trust was started He shared an additional observation: In 30 Ginny Rivers and her husband Dick Rivers, a long-time member of 3)
about eight years ago by five local residents who years, at the current rate of development, the the NBLT Board of Directors, visited with Doug Ayers, VMD, presi- o Sh
were concerned about the effect of urban: sprawl See LAND TRUST, pg 8 dent of the organization. 1 EX
gs
Freshman ‘T Bi 93 | fi d : fi f h | SA
iin oy Bingo’ is clever fundraiser for freshman class | ~:2
Gail Meeker 2 £8
Ws Santa By ELIZABETH ANDERSON it as much as the younger kids joying each other's company.” — 5
feusoanm Post Correspondent did.” Matt Morris stood in for Ole —| 2A
Matt Morris) The creative students magical- Saint Nick, while Kristen Sum- 3 29
What she LEHMAN - More than 100 |y transformed the cafeteria into ma, Savannah Coombs, Anne [o) =%
wants for children and their parents 5 Christmas fairyland, complete Sorchik and Kristen Noler 28
Christmas af- turned out to play bingo and with decorated tree and giant played the jolly old fellow’s elves. Ol 22
ter Saturday's win toys at the Lake-Lehman vendor-machine sized wrapped The kids sat on Santa's lap for cc 35
best-ever toy High School cafeteria on Satur- packages with bows. One group pictures and whispered their E=
; day, a record-breaking number spent the night before the party heart's desire in his ear. Danc- pr 2E
bingo : compared to years past. baking up a storm for the ac- ing diva dolls and dinosaurs 2 8
fundraiser. The fifth annual fundraiser companying bake sale. “They topped Santa's request list from it
has become a Christmas tradi- had a ton of fun last night,” the girls and boys. Santa even 5
tion for the freshman class at Meeker said. “In fact, I think called a bingo game or two. E
= Lake-Lehman High School. “This that's why they were so dreary- The freshmen donated the
is one of my favorite fund rais- eyed this morning. They were up toys won as prizes by the under-
POST PHOTO/ELIZA- ers,” said Gail Meeker, class ad- too late baking, eating, and en-
\ BETH ANDERSON visor. “The freshman kids loved See TOY BINGO, pg 8