Dallas, Pennsylvania The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 November 21 to November 27, 2002 . . ij; A x x * » * > United We Stand Vol. 113 No. 47 SPORTS IN Black Knights are state champs! Pg 11. SCHOOL Pgil3. Veterans honored at Wycallis. 50 Cents COMMUNITY Ecumenical Thanksgiving service planned. Pg 7. Preliminary ‘big box’ store plan presented in Dallas By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS TWP. - Could a Wal-Mart be heading our way? At the Dallas Town- ship Planning Commission meeting last week, J. Naparlo along with an engineer from C.E.I. Engineers, presented a pre- liminary sketch plan for a “big box user” at the intersection of Routes 415 and 118. ye Speaking by phone from his Williams- burg, Virginia home last week, Naparlo said he has “a preliminary agreement with a corporation,” but would not dis- close which one. The plans that were submitted to the commission outline a 155,530 square foot “box user” that ac- cording to Naparlo could be any large retail business such as Wal-Mart, Tar- get, K-Mart, or Kohl's. In addition, the plans outline five other parcels that, for preliminary purposes have been desig- nated for shops, restaurants and bank Traffic is big concern. Pg 10. use. Naparlo’s property is north of a wet- land area on 415. To build on the prop- erty, the land will have to be leveled and filled in at its southern end. The plans show two points of entry and exit on Route 415. One entrance and- exit with a traffic signal directly across from the residential community Lake Way Manor. Another right turn only entrance and exit is planned fur- ther north. Len Kozick, township zoning officer, said no action by the planning commis- sion is needed at this time. The plans were presented to the commission as part of routine requirements by the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for the property owner to se- cure an occupancy permit. Naparlo, who used to live in the area, said he purchased the entire 48-acre property in 1998 from the Yalicks. He applied to have the zoning changed on the property approximately a year ago All four parcels were changed at that time to B-4 commercial zoning. The property on the preliminary sketch plan is divided into six parcels. The largest 21-acre parcel is planned to be the large retail store and the other five are tentatively planned to house a See BIG BOX, pg 10 Board questions, then pays construction bills POST PHOTO/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK The Dallas High School Student Council incorporated a food collection into its dance Saturday night. Packing in some of the dona- tions, from left: Carrie Thimot, student council treasurer; Jen Arthur, president; Gabbie Huh, dropping in a donation. By M.B. GILLIGAN Post Correspondent For many of us, Thanksgiving brings thoughts of wonderful family meals, over- flowing with vast assortments of foods. We are the fortunate ones. Close to 120 of our Back Mountain © neighbors know that their Thanksgiving dinner, along with nearly all of their other meals, depends on the generosity of others. The Back Mountain Food Pantry provides those clients with a week's worth of meals 50 weeks out of the year. “We have some people who consistently give,” explained Louise Hazeltine, a volun- teer with Trucksville United Methodist Church. “The postal workers’ spring drive provides about 10,000 pounds of food and the Boy Scouts of Dallas (Troop 281) al- ways do a spring food drive. That helps get us through the summer months. Then we have some groups who spread it out throughout the year, like Boy Scout Troop 155 of Trucksville, who said theyll do a drive in January when the holiday giving is over.” The Thanksgiving food drive helps to re- plenish the shelves that are nearly depleted because many groups and organizations are not active during the summer. “We hope to get enough donations now to get Drive under way to collect food for holidays, winter us through the winter,” said Hazeltine. Several Back Mountain schools and: or- ganizations are currently participating in the Thanksgiving food drive. “The Cub Scouts of Troop 281 in Dallas brought in 50 boxes of food last night,” said Walter Meade, Trucksville, this year’s chairman for the Thanksgiving baskets. He has been a volunteer with the Food Pantry since it started over 15 years ago. “We have seven men who put up the or- ders every Friday and the clients come in to pick them up,” he said. College Misericordia, Gate of Heaven Ele- See FOOD DRIVE, pg 14 By ELIZABETH ANDERSON Post Correspondent LEHMAN TWP. — The Lake- Lehman School Board seemed to be keeping a close eye on the district's ever-increasing con- struction costs at Tuesday night's meeting, with several board members asking probing questions about expenditures. However, the board approved all payments and disbursements, including nearly $115,000 in change orders for the senior high school project. “Do we need to be doing all these change orders?” asked board member Angelo DeCesaris of Douglas Trumbower, the dis- trict’s architect, saying he was concerned with the amount of money the district was spend- ing. Trumbower outlined - afew of the larger change orders includ- ed in the $88,686 going to the general contractor, S. G. Mastri- ani, Inc., including $16,000 for lockers with built-in locks not requested in the original specifi- cations. Another $22,000 went to upgrading balcony railings for the new gym to the new building “We do nitpick a lot but I personally appreciate what Doug does over there.” Charles Boytin * School board president codes that will be implemented statewide next year. The upgrad- ed railings will also be much safer, said Trumbower. Board member Charles Bal- avage questioned the oversight of the change orders, saying, “We do not have anybody there on the job looking at these. We have Mr. Trumbower’s represen- tative and I do not think that is a good way to do this.” Balavage also questioned the $39,000 already spent for draw- ings and specifications on a pro- posed prefabricated mainte- nance building. “This is a pre-engineered building that we're supposed to See LEHMAN, pg 9 Early deadlines, delivery for Thanksgiving week Due to the holiday, The Dallas Post will be published one day early Thanksgiving week. The issue dated November 28, 2002 will be available at stores on Wednesday, November 27, and will be de- livered to local mail subscribers with that day's mail. The deadline for submission of articles for that issue will be Friday, November 22 at 4 p.m. 20 Pages, 2 Sections oLollege program provides By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS - The Women and Children program idea started percolating in 1998. Four years later the program is in its third year at College Misericordia, @roviding room, board, and nu- merous other supports to six ed- ucationally qualified single women with children. “Our concern is ‘when a woman is very interested in try- ing to go to college, how do we assist that?” said Sister Jean Messaros RSM, Dean of Stu- dents at College Misericordia. “Without her having to worry about having an apartment, @ king to pay for the apart- ment and provide for her chil- dren.” Messaros said studies indi- cating that women make up the greatest number of single, head of household families in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties spurred her and others at the college to pursue the establish- ment of the program. @ “Several of us had been talk- ing one day, saying wouldn't it be wonderful if we could do POST PHOTO/ERIN YOUNGMAN Margi Feist, left, and Marisue Sack, Program Coordinator, look over some of the material. something specific for women with children who are trying to go to school?” said Messaros. Messaros said the idea was a natural progression from the mission of the Sisters of Mercy who founded the college in 1924. According to Messaros, when Catherine McAuley found- ed the Sisters of Mercy in 1830s Ireland, the congregation's pri- mary work was with the poor women and children of Dublin. That tradition continues today. In 1998, the Sisters of Mercy gave Rosary Hall, the former dorm and home economics building, on the corner of Center hope, opportunity to moms Hill Road and Church Street, to the program as well as $10,000 to renovate the home into the women’s residence. The college provides the families room and board valued at approximately $7,000 annually and gives the children free meal cards to eat on campus. The program also includes short presentations for the women on topics such as parenting. All other costs are in- curred by the women in the form of financial aid, loans and jobs. “The women, their back- ground, their histories for what- ever reason, have placed them in these circumstances. We feel a mission to break that cycle,” said Messaros. Ellie Miller, director of the pro- gram, said one of the greatest things about the program is that the children learn to feel at home on a college campus. She said the most recent graduate’s daughter became so comfortable with the college environment that she felt unintimidated in president McDowell's office. “And the kids talk about going to college,” said Miller. See MOMS, pg 3 Display advertising for the is- Calendar PA ER NR 20 sue should be ordered by 5 Classified.................. 17-19 p.m. on Thursday, Nove. 21. Crossword..................... 12 Classified advertising will be Editorials... ... ini 8 accepted until 5 p.m. on Mon- ObHUBHBS...........icncirseeine 2 gay. Nov. 25 SOh00k: iii 15-16 Sports. i... 11-13 CALL 675-5211 FOR HOME DELIVERY, NEWS OR ADVERTISING E-mail: dallaspost@leader.net Season looks bright for Cougars Led by pre-season All-Ameri- can Willie Chandler, the Col- lege Misericordia men hope to make some noise in Division Il. Preview on page 11. 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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