Vol. 115 No. 3 L Rivalry week in Lake-Lehman and Dallas basketball. Page 7 The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 January 18 to January 24, 2004 50¢ SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Cara Devine, a coach with the Dallas Mini-Mounts age-group swimming team, chatted with a few swimmers during a recent ractice. From left: Abby Berger, Michelle Thompson, Wendy Greenwood, Lucy Reilly and Regan Rome. The team has attracted 5 swimmers — more than double its prediction — in the first year. Warm pool is a hot ticket for Dallas kids By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Correspondent DALLAS TWP. — The open- ing of the Dallas School Dis- trict’s Natatorium (the Dallas Middle School pool) came and went quietly last year. But the splashing, healthful exuberance coming from the pool day and night now can be heard all over the Back Mountain. Ealish Ellis, age 7, from Har- eys Lake swims three times a week as part of an age-based swim team that competes with eight other teams in the NEPA Age Group Swim Conference (AGSC). “I like the backstroke best. I could sort of swim before but I don’t think I could swim in the deep end,” she says. The Dallas Mini-Mounts host- Dallas Natatorium at the Dallas Middle School Public swimming Wednesdays and Fridays 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sundays 2-5 p.m., except if meets are being held ed its second league competition at the pool January 12. “It was a dream to develop an age-based group swim program for young kids,” said Matt Stre- tanski, Dallas High School swim coach and pool manager. “When Dr. Griffiths hired me as pool manager, one of the responsibili- ties was to develop a community based swim program — an after hours program — at this pool.” The pool is in use every day by students, and is open for public swimming 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Open swims on Sundays are 2 to 5 p.m. unless there is a meet. “Selfishly, I hoped it would be- come a feeder program for the high school team,” Stretanski said. He noted that successful high school swim programs have feeder programs. That luxury was unavailable in Dallas simply because there was no pool until this year. From a parent’s point of view, the pool and team program is just the ticket. “We would travel sometimes three or four times a week, maybe more, to pools in the Wilkes-Barre area to practice or compete,” said Kathy Berger, co-president with Ken Green- wood of the newly-formed team. Amanda Thompson, a Dallas Middle School student, remem- bers the long drives in the car to Wilkes-Barre as well. “I was so . bored in the car.” More importantly, the parents are learning together and form- ing a great team. “It’s a very up- beat and exciting,” said Berger. To maintain and organize a program like this requires 30 to 40 involved parents at the meets, and Stretanski is ecstatic at the parental support. “The parents are wonderful. I couldn’t do this alone, I really just organized them, told them what needed to be done, and they did the rest.” The children get the benefit from all the adult activity. “The kids don’t have to worry about winning, they should en- See POOL, pg 3 Committee works to grow local business By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff BACK MOUNTAIN — In an effort to combat a decline in local businesses, the Back Mountain Business and Pro- fessional Association (BMBPA) has created an economic development committee. At its first meeting January 12, the group hammered out a mission statement and three-step plan for facilitating and encouraging business growth in the area. Lynn Banta, owner of Twin Stacks Center and a found- ing member of the committee, said the nine-person council aims to fill the area’s abundance of empty business spaces. The council is made up of BMBPA members including College Misericordia President, Michael MacDowell, At- torney Bernard Walter, realtors Nancy Eckert and Carl Go- eringer, Jr. Other community and business leaders, not necessarily BMBPA members, will be invited to join the ef- fort. “The BMBPA has recognized the need to pay attention to economic development in the Back Mountain. You see stores boarded up — our feeling is that’s not where we want to be,” said Banta. ; According to the mission statement, the committee looks to attract and support businesses that will be consis- tent with the Back Mountain’s character. The group has focused on three initial goals: to catalog available business space in the region and place the infor- See BUSINESS, pg 3 District will fast track alarm repairs By ERIN YOUNGMAN Post Staff DALLAS TWP. — The Dallas School District will begin soliciting bids for repairs to the high school’s fire alarm system immediately, said school board president Dave Us- avage last week. Usavage said after an executive session January 12, the board decided to repair the system, rather than replace it. The decision freed the district from having to conduct a formal bid process that could have lasted six weeks or more. Usavage said the district’s upcoming high school renova- tion weighed heavily in the board’s decision to pursue re- pairs instead of replacement. “If there’s going to be a construction project at the high school, you don’t want to have to take it (the new system) all out,” he said. Building and grounds supervisor Mark Kraynack will so- licit the bids by phone and present the information to members of the administration and board in two weeks, said Usavage. V InsipE THE Post New plan to get last airing J Cluster housing and wetlands protection included By VICKI KEIPER Post Correspondent yx JACKSON TWP. — The Jackson Town- iip Planning Commission will hold a pub- lic review of its comprehensive plan on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the town- ship building. The public is encouraged to attend, said Planning Commission Chairman Charles Repotski. Although this is the final of three hearings before the commission approves the plan, changes could be made depend- ing upon input from residents. “The purpose of the hearing is to receive public opinion,” Repotski said. “So we can get it right.” Repotski said that the largest change to the existing plan involves possibly allow- ing for cluster housing — houses built close together on a piece of land surround- ed by open spaces. For example, instead of splitting a 20- acre lot into 10 two-acre homesites, a de- veloper could build 10 houses on half the area while leaving the remaining half emp- ty. Wetland and historical areas qualify as open spaces. This form of development would allow more trees and grasslands to remain undis- turbed instead of chopped or mowed. down, Repotski said. “It’s in line with what @: to do. It would help to protect the pgrity of the land while allowing devel- opment.” One of the other changes in the plan See PLAN, pg 2 Gas sickens 6 Several Back Mountain de- partments were called out Tuesday evening to investi- gate a gas odor at the Mc- Donald's Restaurant in Shavertown. Shavertown Fire Department Chief Gary Beisel said the odor was strong enough to force the restaurant's closure. Six employees complaining of headaches were treated by paramedics, none were tak- en to the hospital. McDon- ald’s reopened Wednesday morning. Shavertown and Trucksville fire depart- ments, Kingston Township Rescue and Ambulance and Jackson and Dallas ambu- lance companies responded. POST PHOTO/ERIN YOUNGMAN Regional master plan study gets a pass By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff KINGSTON TWP. — The super- visors have decided to let stand for now a decision made by the previ- ous board committing the township to an outlay of up to $17,700 for par- ticipation in a regional master plan study commissioned by the Back Mountain Council of Governments (COG). . At the January 12 work session, three of the five supervisors voiced their own conflicting sentiments about the plan. “I'm really torn on this issue,” said Jeffrey Box after listing concerns about the useful ness of the proposed study, but sup- port for regional cooperation. Box questioned whether recom- mendations from the traffic portion of the three-part study would be ac- ceptable to PennDOT. He also won- dered aloud whether its zoning and planning components would actual- ly be implemented. Supervisors Dave Jenkins and Paul Sabol accepted the need for planning, but worried about the cost. “I agree we need to plan, but I'm concerned with implementing the plan once it’s produced,” Jenkins said, asking how much additional cost would be involved. Atty. Bernard Walter, speaking for the newly-formed Back Mountain Economic Development Council, urged the board not to “pull the plug” on funding for the study. Walter said he had seen the ugli- ness of urban sprawl destroy the nat- ural beauty of communities in the San Francisco Bay area. “I don’t want to see that happen in my new home.” The state government has made it See REGIONAL, pg 2 Hot spot for game players in Dallas. Page 5 12 Pages, 1 Section Calendal..........ccxvesmins 12 Church... ciicaiibonss 1 Crossword.......... na... 8 Editorials..........ac0 aii 4 ObHUANES........ccneveirssnes 5 SChoOl....... ai. nial’ 10 SPOONS... or ce inavesrresrrians 7-9 V How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 thepost@leader.net 15 N. 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