4 Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, January 2, 2003 2002 - A review in words and photos —<res Estates Water Company and use it to supply his proposed Wind- sor Farms subdivision. June 20 — The Lake-Lehman School Board rejected a state fact-finder's recommendation for a contract settlement, sending the board and teachers’ union back to the bargaining table. The teachers accepted the plan. Lehman Township residents pleaded with the supervisors for relief from the traffic, dust and noise generated by activity at Pikes Creek Asphalt and Crushed Stone. Ann Lynn Mizenko, Dallas, was presented with The Pinnacle Award at commencement exer- cises for Fairleigh Dickinson University. June 27 — Rev. Rudolph Libeck “retired” after 11 years as pastor at Huntsville United Methodist Church. But the 87- year-old wasn’t done yet; he ac- cepted an assignment at the Askam United Methodist Church, near Nanticoke. The North Branch Land Trust added a Land Protection Special- ist, Josh Longmore, funded by a grant from the William Penn Foundation. He will help the or- ganization create protection plans for land of natural or his- toric value, primarily in Luzerne, Wyoming and Susquehanna counties. July 4 — Dallas School Dis- trict taxes will rise 4 mills, half the amount first estimated, with the new budget. Lake-Lehman will not have a tax increase this year, despite a 26 percent in- crease in health insurance pre- miums. The Jackson Township Police Department and other local or- ganizations held the fist Safe Kids Day, where children and their parents learned how to stay safe at home and in the car. McGruff the Crime Dog and the crash dummies Vince and Larry were special guests. Mary Erwine was named the 2002 Athena Award recipient by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Cham- ber of Business and Ihdustry. July 11 — Three youths were taken by helicopter to area hos- pitals after a two-car collision at the intersection of Route 118 and Market Street in Lehman Township. Police Chief Howard Kocher said the accident was yet another reason to install a traffic light at the busy intersection. What a difference! After trying for weeks to get National Utili- ties to fix the water leak in her yard, Cathy Burgess was de- lighted when a new company took over and promptly found a crack in a water line. NUI was forced out of business due to poor service. Jackson Township supervisors were irate that public funds would be used to clean up a 20,000 waste tire pile in the township. While it was state money that was involved, the principle raised their ire. July 18 — Local government officials worried that they might not receive payment of franchise fees from the Adelphia cable television company, which had declared Chapter 11 bankrupt- cy. The Harveys Lake Borough Council "vowed to take action against property owners who pipe storm water runoff into the sanitary sewer system. A mem- ber of the Harveys Lake Protec- tive Association said he could show council members film of human waste spilled onto Lake- side Drive in storms. “City kids” were enjoying a stay in the country with their Fresh Air Fund families. Six Back Mountain families are act- ing as hosts. July 25 — The president of Haines and Kibblehouse, parent company of Pies Creek Asphalt and Crushed Stone, flew into Lehman Township to host a walking tour of the facilities and to insure worried residents that his company would work hard to minimize dust, noise and blast- ing. But neighbors of the plant remained skeptical. The concession stand at the Back Mountain Baseball Little League field was broken into for the fourth time in a year. A se- curity system was not activated at the time of the thefts. August 1 — The Lake-Lehman School Board decided to stick with a busing and transfer plan that would send about 70 ele- mentary students to new schools in the fall. The changes came about with the expansion of Ross Elementary and a dual busing plan that separates ele- mentary students from older children. The Dallas School District will — use an extra $52,000 of state support to purchase textbooks and instructional support. The increased funding was an- nounced after the new budget was completed, and will have no impact on the $22.6 million budget. August 8 — A week after vot- ing to solicit: Bids for construc- tion of a.new press box.at the football ficldi@the Lake-Eéhman School Board reversed course and decided to treat the $49,000 project as a change order to the construction project. Sean Robbins was the top lo- cal finisher in the 21st Wilkes- Barre Triathlon, which attracted 500 competitors in amateur and professional categories. Robbins is aiming to compete in the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon this year. Could it be? After 22 years, the zoning dispute between Jackson Township and Ameri- can Asphalt appeared to be headed for a conclusion. It won't happen soon enough for Jim Canon, who lives along Chase Road and says blasting activity at the quarry has been keeping him up nights for weeks. August 15 — It was billed as the Last Dance at Hanson's Ball- room, and about 600 people made sure to be there. The ven- erable entertainment venue may have hosted its last event, as veterans of Eddie Day and the Starfires joined Which Doctor? for a rocking good time. The Dallas School Board voted to withhold payment to man- agers and contractors on the middle school project, saying de- lays had become unbearable. The swimming pool, which was to be completed and filled this month, is now slated for comple- tion in late September. August 22 — Perhaps it didn’t look like it, but Lake-Lehman High School would open on schedule and the athletic fields will be ready, too. There's still work to be done, though, and students and faculty will have to work around it. It wasn’t a lot of money, but on principle the Lehman Teown- ship supervisors decided to refuse to pay two bills of $8 each sent by the Luzerne County Board of Assessors, which wants to split the cost of property re- assessments with the township. August 29 — Dallas Fire and Ambulance Association celebrat- ed its 75th anniversary with a parade and and open house at the fire hall. It is an all-volun- teer organization. County officials said they had received several reports of dead crows and other birds found in the Back Mountain. So far, no evidence of the West Nile Virus has been indicated here, though. Michael Gokay stepped into the job as principal at Lake- Lehman High School, replacing John Oliver, who retired. His background in the construction industry could prove handy. September 5 — A local wood- working firm restored the wood- en. portions of a reproduction Liberty Bell that stands in front of the Treasury Department building in Washington D.C. It was to the site of a speech by President Bush on the anniver- sary of the 9/11 attacks. With more than $500,000 in grant money lined up, support- ers of the Back Mountain Trail were ready to begin work on two new sections that would extend from Carverton Road to the New Mart on Route 309. All that’s needed are easements from property owners along the way. September 12 — One year later, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 cast shad- ows that reached the Back Mountain. Local police and school officials described new security measures prompted by the attacks, and Dave Townsend, who works at the American Stock Exchange in New York, said he now travels back to Dallas to visit his family more often. It's over! The Lake-Lehman teachers were expected to sign off on a new contract that passed by a 5:4" ‘vote ‘of the school board. The agreement, recommended by a fact-finder, is the same one the board rejected in June. Dallas Borough officials look at the center of town and envi- sion a “downtown village,” and help to make it a reality could come from state grants — if oth- er towns in the Back Mountain agree that Dallas is a hub of ac- tivity. September 19 — Lehman Township supervisors fended off rumors the township's police de- partment was being eliminated. The township had asked Police Chief Howard Kocher to look at scheduling changes that would help close an anticipated budget gap. Bears were more common this year, Dallas Township Police 1 ¥, a August 15 - Last dance, anyone? Eddie Day invited Becky Aben onstage at what was billed as the last dance at Hanson's Ballroom at Harveys Lake. Chief Bob Jolley told the super- visors. He suggested that resi- dents bring bird feeders in at night and add a cup of ammonia to trash cans that contain food. Art Thompson of Harveys Lake was presented with the Herm - Shiplett Volunteer Award by Wyoming Valley Habitat for Hu- manity. September 26 — First it was- n't, then it‘was. Test results on crow found dead in Lehman in August showed that it was in- fected with West Nile Virus. The party was for Jacob and Joelle Serafin, but the gifts went to an organization that fights autism. Those attending were asked to make donations in lieu of gifts. The Kingston Township Police Department began a program to give out gun locks to families who want to prevent tragic acci- dents. Denise Swida was one of the first recipients. October 3 — Members of the Friends of the Back Mountain Memorial Library gathered to honor Shirley Forney, who was stepping down after 15 years as chairperson. October 3 - Amy Lynn Hartman was named Homecoming Queen at Dallas High School, and her mom, Donna, was quick with a hug. ‘struction project, Yes, he was coming back. Dal- las School District officials said James McGovern, who was first hired as assistant high school principal for the 2000-2001 school year, would return. He had left Dallas to take the post of high school principal at Crest- wood, but was leaving there due to an unstable administration. Youths continue to ride skate- boards in Dallas Borough de- spite a ban on the activity, but would really like to have a legal skate park. Josh Reese and his friends were collecting petitions to present to the boreugh. October 10 - The Lr) Haunted Barn was .ready 10 open for its 20th season of frights. The annual destination has raised thousands of dollars for charity. After being postponed again, a hearing on the 20-year zoning dispute between American As- phalt and Jackson Township was scheduled for December. Critters of all descriptions ar- rived at St. Therese’s Church in Shavertown for the annual blessing of the animals. Sasha and Cuddles, cats in the Belskis household, waited patiently for their turn. October 17 — Peeved at de- lays in the middle school con- the Dallas School Board rescinded the ap- pointment of Foreman Burkav- age as architects and engineers for the upcoming high school renovations. Board members also voted to withhold $28,000 in fee payments. Jered Weinstock’s project gar History Day reached far oT the Back Mountain. The Dallas High School sophomore investi- gated the life of the “Pedro Pans,” Cuban children who had been sent by their parents to the U.S. in the early 1960s to escape Fidel Castro’s communist regime. Members of the Lake-Noxen Elementary PTO were deep into plans to replace the school’s ag- ing playground. They estimated it would cost $60,000 to install a new, safe play area. October 24 — Lake-Lehman teams christened the brand-new athletic field lights with two vic- tories. The soccer team beat Dal- las Friday night in the first offi- cial game held at night, and the football team wallopped GAR 46- 0 on Saturday. Fed up with uncontrolled runoff from lots in The Pines de- velopment, Lehman Township supervisors threatened to seize the land and sell it if Lifestyle Builders didn’t fix the problem. The “Our Dallas - Today ‘@ See REVIEW, pg 5
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