L Dallas, Pennsylvania The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 May 16 to May 22, 2002 United We Stand Vol. 113. No. 20 SPORTS Lake-Lehman girls shut out Crestwood in soccer. Pg 9. Students of the Month to be honored. Pg 11. POST COMMUNITY Gate of Heaven choir makes joyful noise. Pg 5. 50 Cents Kitson Hori Goi Tan Lat { SHER ih VIED EW bid, Fltid 4 FEPY pon John Comitz recently won the Pennsylvania National History Day Teacher of Merit Award (the clock plaque located in the lower left corner) atthe state competition and is in the running for the national award in June. The Lake-Lehman History teacher is shown here with two other awards he received through recommendations of his students. Janelle Janiczek chose Comitz as her Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Educator of Distinction last year for which Comitz received this plaque and crystal Coca-Cola bottle. University of Scranton junior Tony Lumbis selected Comitz as the most influential teacher in his education and presented him with the Rose L. Kelly award. 7 students going to National History Day By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent They've done it again. John Comitz and his 19 Lake-Lehman High School students made another great showing at the Pennsylvania National History Day (NHD) state competition at Penn State University in State College on May 8 and 9. Comitz was presented with the National History Day Teacher of Merit Award at the state ceremonies. The A.P. History in- structor was nominated by his colleague, Lake-Lehman English teacher Gail Meek- er. Comitz said he was very humbled by the presentation of his award. “The state coordinator, Avis Kunz, came up to the dais,” he explained. “She was very, very laudatory in building up who this teacher was — and then she an- nounced my name.” The award recognizes outstanding edu- cators for their hard work and for innova- tive history teaching within and outside the classroom. “All the kids from Lake- Lehman went bananas,” he added. “They were excited for me.” Comitz won the Pennsylvania NHD Teacher of the Year award at last year’s national competition. Under his enthusiastic guidance, Lake- Lehman has sent students to states the last five years of the seven they have been See HISTORY, pg 3 POST PHOTO/ELIZABETH ANDERSON e Runoff plagues property § that straddles town lines BY TIMOTHY J. RAUB Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — It has ==" Dr. David Kolesar two and a half years to get some help with the stormwater runoff prob- lem that has plagued his proper- ty since he moved in to the Woodridge development that lies across the Kingston and Jack- son Township border. It took only 48 hours for ad- ministrators from Kingston Township to lend some help, @ once asked. Township Engineer Chris Bor- ton, along with Roadmaster Donald Fritzges and Supervisor J. Carl Goodwin went to rT POST PHOTO/TIMOTHY J. RAUB Kingston Township officials &@ [ooked over property in Jackson Township that is being flooded as a result of development just across the township border. Ty Woodridge Estates Friday, and found problems that have led Kolesar to pay enormous out-of- pocket expenses — he says over $10,000 — to try to save his property. Kolesar told the board of su- pervisors at their May 8 meeting of the constant erosion he has had to deal with along his prop- erty, and said he even had to call his own engineer to try to fix the problem on his own. Kolesar said it is not uncom- mon to find two to three feet of water in his yard after a moder- ate rain storm, and with proper- ty behind his home up for devel- opment, the chances were greater that he would see signifi- cantly more stormwater run-off in his yard. “We knew about the problem before, but we thought that the problems were solved,” said Bor- ton. “Mr. Kolesar was very well versed and well prepared, and we took that as a call for help.” Kolesar’'s home in the Woodridge II subdivision is lo- cated in Jackson Township, but the stormwater draining into his property has been coming from lots within the development lo- cated in Kingston Township. After a one-hour walk through the property behind Kolesar’'s home, Borton, Fritzges and Goodwin found a number of is- sues and problems they felt the See RUNOFF, pg 3 5 Chillin’ on a sunny day Sheryl Fishel, Jen Arthur and Kate Benedetti took a break from helping out at the Children’s Spring Festival, held Saturday at College Misericordia and sponsored by the Back Mountain Business and Professional Association. For more photos, turn to the Community Photo Album on page 4. Township officia files complaint A Asst manager says qualifications were changed to exclude her BY TIMOTHY J. RAUB Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — Assistant township manager and former acting township manager Kath- leen J. Sebastian has filed an administrative complaint against Kingston Township al- leging she was a victim of gender discrimination. The action was filed through attorney Cynthia R. Vullo. “I have recently forwarded an administrative complaint to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission on (Sebastian’s) be- half against the township,” said Vullo. “She believes the board of supervisors rejected her applica- tion (for township manager) be- cause of unfounded and unlaw- ful concerns, concerning her gender.” According to the complaint, filed on April 25, Sebastian al- leged Kingston Township violat- ed the Human Relations Act and See COMPLAINT, pg 8 Signal system will speed emergency response BY TIMOTHY J. RAUB Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — Emer- gency vehicles traveling along Route 309 corridor in the Back Mountain will now be able to save valuable time — at the touch of a finger. Emergency personnel from throughout the Back Mountain, along - with officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Jane Lee, a representative from Gov- ernor Mark Schweicker’s North- eastern PA office, and State Sen- ator Charles Lemmond dedicat- ed and demonstrated a new emergency traffic signal system May 10 at a ceremony at the Trucksville Fire Department. “Without the total cooperation of the municipalities of the Back See SIGNALS, pg 8 A light flashed back at a police cruiser during a demonstration of the emergency traffic signal system that is now operating at 13 in- POST PHOTO/TIMOTHY J. RAUB tersections in the Back Mountain. The light tells a driver of an emergency vehicle that the system is operating properly. POST PHOTO/JIM PHILLIPS 8 Dallas teachers announce retirement BY TIMOTHY J. RAUB Post Staff DALLAS TWP. — The Dallas School Board accepted the resig- nations of eight district teachers May 13. The board accepted the resig- nations of : John Chapple, 27 years; Paul Clemm, 35 years; Mary Grace Jones, 33 years; Sally Kennard, 35.5 years; Mari- lyn Klick, 33.7 years; Gary Mathers, 22 years; William Straitiff, 36.5 years; and Robert Suppon, 35.5 years. Dallas Senior High School principal Frank Galicki worked with Mathers, Kennard and Chapple for many years at the school. “They are three great people, and outstanding educators,” said Galicki. “They love the kids, and spend so much time build- ing the community in the Back Mountain.” The teachers, who have a combined 258 years of service to the district, will retire officially in July. “Their experiences are going to be sorely missed by the school district, because with experience comes the ability to function within the educational commu- See TEACHERS, pg 7 16 Pages, 2 Sections Calendar..............ccaearewns 16 Classified.................. 13-15 Crossword..........cccoveeeesss 10 Editorials...........cone. ini. 6 OBHUANIES, ....cce cose ievncins 2 SChOO........cu0is0nisivvae. 11-12 SPOS. ...covmnsinesssssuirrsss 9-10 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dallaspost@leader.net Please enclose this label with any address changes, and mail to The Dallas Post P.O. 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