yi / The Dallas Post NEWS Friday, August 1, 2003 3 i @They’re not rabbits, are they? One mule became two last week, as the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association (ASTA) placed its participant in the “Miles of Mules” display that stretches for 165 miles through five coun- ties. The route roughly corre- sponds to the old Delaware and Lehigh Canal corridor. While Dallas isn’t exactly on the canal, ASTA officials thought this was a great spot for their mule, since the Back Mountain Trail will pass nearby when it is completed. The mule mannequin was decorated by Clarks Sum- mit artist Pat DeVirgilis, who painted the four seasons, one on each leg, and a wreath of moun- tain laurel on the head. There are more than 150 mules & the display. The raw man- nequins were purchased for $2,000 each by individuals, businesses and non-profit or- ganizations, who were responsi- ble for their own decoration. The mules will be displayed un- til early October, and will be sold at an auction later that month. Proceeds from the sale of all the mules will be divided equally among the participants. The ASTA mule is positioned fol- lowing one sponsored by Metz & Associates of Dallas. POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK Clearing weeds one of many preparation tasks By PAUL LAZAR For The Dallas Post HARVEYS LAKE — Thanks to some help by Ecoscientific Solutions, a Scranton-based / ecology and landscape firm, the going at this year’s Wilkes-Barre Triathlon on Aug. 3 might not be as tough as it has been in pre- vious years. On Sunday, Ecoscientific Solu- tions utilized a 3,000-pound aquatic weed harvester to re- move problem plants in a por- tion of Harveys Lake that will be “used in the swimming portion of the triathlon. : Viewed looking down into the ‘water from the harvester, the weeds are thick and resemble an aquatic forest. Ron Tussel, vice president of Ecoscientific, maneuvers the machine as easily as one oper- ates an automobile. “These come in all shapes and sizes,” said Tussel of the har- vester. “This one is handy for getting into small places.” Operated entirely by hy- draulics, the harvester features a three-cylinder motor, the same type that is used in farm trac- tors. Although the weeds do not pose an immediate threat to swimmers, those involved in the triathlon wanted to make the go- ing as easy as possible for those competing. “Pretty much that’s the pur- pose of doing the harvesting,” said Jim Harris, president of the triathlon association. “The pres- ence of the weeds may spook some of the less-experienced swimmers.” In addition to making life easi- er for the triathletes, removal of the weeds should also make the beach and lake area more ap- pealing to residents and swim- mers alike. After the weeds are removed from the lake and the harvester is full, they are loaded onto a trailer. They are then shipped off to 5R Stables in Noxen to be used as compost. Such weeds in the lake can al- low for the growth of certain kinds of bacteria. New kinds of bacteria can be brought in by fish and other aquatic animals and also by boats that come from other lakes, resulting in plant growth. “By harvesting the weeds, the entire ecosystem benefits,” said Tussel. “It takes out the nutri- ents that can produce bacteria.” The bacteria that worried triathlon officials most was fecal coliform. The bacteria, carried primarily through warm-blood- ed animals, can make a person ill. Tussel is quick to point out, however, that most lakes in the northeast are at acceptable bac- teria levels. The biggest threat to swimmers is the presence of blue/green algae, a growth that can cause eye, nose and throat infections and can be fatal to small animals. The harvester is pressure- washed after every use, and cop- per-based algicides are used to eliminate algae and prevent con- tamination of a new harvesting site with new seed pods. Ecoscientific Solutions, which volunteered its time and servic- es in the cleanup, is a sponsor of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon and also serves as a contractor for the West Nile Virus Control Pro- gram. The firm cleared out a 40- yard-wide, 100-foot-long lane for the swimmers. The weeds were sometimes so thick, the hardest part of the job was keeping the equipment working, ; “But when it works well, it works well.” said Tussel. “This is much better than working in an office.” This article appeared in origi- nal form in the Times Leader. Tell our advertisers you saw them in The Dallas Post. They'll appreciate it, and so will we. a ~ Dr. Richard Alley~ © Dr. Gerald Maloney : athleen Hirthler, CRN.D are relocating their offices to 440 Pierce Street, Kingston Effective July 28th Our phone number will main the same, 288-4232 Q “HOME. AUTO. LIFE. ME” TALK TO A REAL, LIVE PERSON WHO'S IN THE SAME PHONE BOOK AS YOU. Edward Donahue, Jr. 696-0380 Dallas, PA 18612 Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company and Allstate Life Insurance Company, Home Office: Northbrook, Htinois. © 2002 Alistate Insurance Company 405 N. Memorial Highway @ Allstate. You're in good hands. The Dallas Post now accepts American Express cards as well as Visa & Mastercard for subscriptions, classified ads, and display ads. Just have your card ready when you call or stop in, and we'll make your transaction fast and easy. The Dallas Post e 675-5211 The following bach completed at Penn State Wilkes-Barre: Administration of Justice Business* Triathlon (continued from page 1) water,” she said as she ex- plained the water sampling is actually under someone else’s job description. “This is just for kicks.” It seems Harris has been in the water in some capacity for as long as she can remem- ber. From a swimming back- ground, Harris’ job oversee- ing much of the logistics of the swimming portion of the race is an ideal fit. As a teenager she worked as a lifeguard at the Forty Fort and Jewish Community Center Holiday House pools. She went on to be a swim- ming All-American at East Stroudsburg University and set some national records along the way. “In fact, the first year of the triathlon I was doing the Maui Channel Swim. I came home and saw it in the pa- per,” she said. She can’t exactly remem- ber how she started volun- teering for the event, that happened too many years ago, she explained. Others have told her she started by carrying athletes’ bags. In any case, she said it wasn’t long before Maureen Devine re- signed as swim coordinator and Harris assumed the posi- tion. “We just try to get all the bases covered,” she said. “I have the summer off, so I have the time to just sit and call and call.” It’s Harris’ job to go to 12 different pools to sign up more than 40 volun- teers to be timers, canoers, lifeguards and water station volunteers. “There's a tremendous . amount of anxiety where you worry about what could go wrong,” she said. Harris can coordinate things like canoes, life pre- servers and volunteers, but “There's a tremendous amount of anxiety where you worry about what could go wrong.” Andrea Harris Triathlon volunteer it's the other variables, she can’t control that cause con- cern. The weather is one aspect that can go dangerously wrong. She said one year in the middle of the swimming portion of the event, a storm caused that leg to be can- celled. “I was out on a boat in thunder and lightning. We couldn’t abandon the swim- mers, we stayed out there the whole time. It was fright- ening. There was this one guy out there doing the breast stroke,” she said laughing. “He said he wasn’t worried — well I was!” Harris said with a grateful tinge of disbelief that there is a committee for just about everything. For example, “There is a whole little group that takes the air out of the orange (race) markers — Wayne and Maureen Devine, their kids and cousins.” The Wilkes-Barre YMCA carts canoes to the event all the way from Camp Kresge in Mountain Top and Moon Lake brings theirs as well. Despite all the work, the camaraderie of the race com- mittee that keeps her com- ing back year after year. “I just don’t want to be off the committee; I really enjoy it,” she said. 3 FOR THE DALLAS POST/PETE G. WILCOX Ron Tussel of Ecoscientific Solutions used an aquatic weed harvesting machine Sunday to clear weeds from the shallow depths of Harveys Lake. J SALON ROOT 415 | Walk-Ins Welcome - No Appointment Necessary 5% off Any Perm For The Entire Month Of August [ = Ay" With This Ad Open: Mon - Fri 8-6; Sat 8-3 Located on Memorial Hwy, Dallas 675-3737 SI ————— - the adult student - the transfer student OPEN HOUSE Penn State Wilkes-Barre Bell Atlantic Center for Technology, Rm 14 Tuesday, August 5 5-7PM For information/registration - Electrical Engineering Technology Information Sciences & Technology* Letters, Arts, & Sciences Surveying 675-9238 or whadmissions @psu.edu (transfer students - bring your transcripts) PENNSTATE Associate degrees and credit certificates are also available. *evening and/or weekend classes available PENN STATE Making Life Better BT Wilkes-Barre AD U.Ed. WB 04-01 VAAL AY NT TRY [TT
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