3 ®- he Post NEWS Sunday, February 29, 2004 3 Gras fun and food John Petroski (Uncle Sam) tried to rattle Tara Connors at the Gate of Heaven School Mardi Gras festivities last week. At right, Emily Churchfield grabs a bite of crepe, one of the items on the menu. FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK By MARK GUYDISH For The Post DALLAS TWP. — Dallas High School senior Sydney Guelich doesn’t necessarily want another day off from school, even though it sounds that way. She just wants equali- ty for Martin Luther King Jr. An assembly scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr. Day was canceled Jan. 19 with nothing replacing it. That spurred Guelich to circulate a petition, but the principal wouldnt allow it. Now she wants to make her case public. “I think it’s sad that they're just not taking me seriously,” Guelich said. “I don’t under- stand why we can celebrate other people’s holidays, but when it comes to a black man, the Back Mountain won’t hon- or it.” The petition didn’t expressly ask for Martin Luther King Jr. Day off. It “is seeking to have things fair across the board. It’s a national holiday. It should be treated like other national holi- days.” The National Association for he Advancement of Colored People agrees, according to Ron Felton, president of the Wilkes-Barre chapter. Felton said that last year the national organization adopted a resolution discouraging na- tional, state and regional offi- cers from talking at programs held by schools that give kids off on other holidays but not on Martin Luther King Day. “They invite you there to speak so they can say they are doing something to observe it,” Felton said, adding that he spoke at a Dallas assembly honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day a few years ago. “When you think about it, it’s really an insult.” But School District Superin- tendent Gilbert Griffiths said there is no discrimination against the holiday. He pointed out that children do not get Veterans Day off either — and added that he is a veteran. “We feel we can provide pro- grams here that would be more educational than students hav- ing the day off,” Griffiths said. All of the School District's schools have some sort of events marking both days, he added. Griffiths said this year’s Mar- tin Luther King event was can- celed at the last minute. “The gentleman they had contracted to come and speak didn’t even show up. Kids were in the seats waiting.” PRS K FOR THE POST/CLARK VAN ORDEN Dallas High School senior Sydney Guelich, in her family's barn where they raise show horses, said the school won't let her circulate a petition asking the School District to cele- brate Martin Luther King Jr. Day the same way as other na- tional holidays And he said it is routine, and even necessary, to require prin- cipals to approve student peti- tions. “Some kids sign because of peer pressure. You have some petitions that have no merit.” Griffiths said that despite the School District's small black population, it stresses diversity through programs with area colleges, including exchanging Dallas students with minority Tell our advertisers you saw them in The Post. They'll appreciate it, and so will we. 3 our open house. 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But Guelich says it’s not enough. “People can say they are not prejudiced and don’t raise their kids that way, but I walk the halls every day and I hear what the kids say, and you only learn that from your par- ents.” PAY Elle [ER ETE eS Branch Manager Pimm (continued from page 1) craft tumbling over. Fortu- nately, the worst injury was a broken leg. The civilian population was welcoming, Pimm said, some- times too much so. After insur- gent attacks became more fre- quent, the Iraqis’ desire to see American vehicles and person- nel up close became unsettling. Still, “Most of the people were great,” Pimm said. “They tried to learn a little English and to teach our soldiers about their culture.” Iraqi civilians were common- ly around, either working as contractors or providing servic- es, such as the “restaurants” they set up within the camp, serving local food and attempt- ing to make American dishes. Sometimes, when supplies didn’t arrive on time, soldiers would go to the local town to buy what was wanted or need- ed. “One time we went on a Pepsi run,” Pimm said. “It was- n't like going to Wal-mart,” since a group of armored vehi- cles loaded with soldiers went along for security. But it won’t be the sand, the camp or the friendly Iraqis Pimm will remember most about his time overseas — it will be the encouragement he got from people in the Back Mountain. “I always knew there was a lot of support back here,” he said Monday. But the depth of it surprised him. Most unexpected were the letters and notes of support from people he didn’t know, whether grade school students or elderly residents of nursing homes. “The people are gen- uinely interested in what we did and what it was like,” he said. From what he saw, Pimm feels the Iragis want to take back control of their country, but realize they aren’t ready to withstand attacks from Sad- dam loyalists and outside agi- tators. Pimm saw the problem first- hand, when a squad of U.S. sol- .diers and Iraqi police raided a home where IEDs, improvised explosive devices, were being made. The leader of the insur- gents was another Iraqi police- man. Pimm is scheduled to return to Fort Campbell, Kentucky in about a week, where he will fin- ish out his enlistment in July, 2005. Then he plans to return home, go to school and perhaps pursue political office. Blaine (continued from page 1) nied American commanders as they met with town officials, who usually included a local sheik, or religious leader. A chaplain’s assistant in the famed 82nd Airborne, Blaine said he would drive all over western Iraq to stop by units where his help was needed. He would also visit a combat sup- port hospital in Baghdad once a week. Blaine re-enlisted for three more years, but will keep his feet on the ground in his next assignment, since his body no longer wants to tolerate air drops. Now at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, he is anticipat- ing a transfer to a base in New Jersey. The Lake-Lehman gradu- ates, Eric in 1999 and Ricky in 2000, are both Eagle Scouts, one of many shared experi- ences. “They've been best friends since they were 6,” Debbie Blaine, Ricky’s mother, said, after meeting as cub scouts. Debbie Blaine hopes both her son and Eric stay stateside until they leave the service. “Eric was gone too damn long,” she said last week. The Post welcomes news about all Back Mountain sol- diers, particularly those serving in the Middle East. E-mail mes- sages may be sent to us at thep- ost@leader.net. Please include as complete identification and contact information -as possi- ble. IN THE SERVIC Navy Hospitalman Nathan Carsman, son of Sheila and Joseph Carsman of Shaver- town, recently graduated from the Basic Hospital Corps School at Naval Hospital Corps School, Great Lakes, Ill. During the 14-week course, Carsman learned medical pro- cedures used to provide first aid and assist Navy doctors and nurses. Carsman also re- ceived an introductory instruc- tion for service in a variety of medical environments, from fleet hospitals and shipboard medical departments to fleet Marine forces and medical ad- ministration offices. Carsman’s first assignment after school will involve direct patient care, but with his train- ing, Carsman can work in sev- eral areas, including first aid and assisting with minor sur- gery, pharmacy and laboratory analysis, patient transporta- E tion, and food service inspec- tions. Carsman is a 2003 graduate of Lake-Lehman High School and joined the Navy in June 2003. LEN J Marine Corps Reserve Pvt. Jason L. Shoemaker, son of Cathy L. Shoemaker of Ed- wardsville, Pa. and Rod L. Shoemaker of Trucksville, Pa., recently completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S. C designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally. Shoemaker and fellow recruits ended the train- ing phase with The Crucible, a 54-hour, team evolution culmi- nating in an emotional ceremo- ny in which recruits are pre- sented the Marine Corps Em- blem, and addressed as “Marines” for the first time in their careers. Harveys Lake Lions invite new members The Harveys Lake Lions Club is accepting applications for new members. Meetings are held twice monthly. Applications can be obtained by calling J. Peter Farrell at 639-1235 or Jeff Smith at 696-5026. As a $900 million full service institution with 6 offices serving Luzerne County, First Federal is known for a wide variety of Commercial deposit products, Cash Management services, Commercial loans and exceptional customer service. But to a lot of our customers, Alexandria is First Federal. : A P First Federal. Put a great bank behind you. Shavertown Office 196 N. 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