\s L Vol. 115 No. 23 The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 June 6 to June 12, 2004 50¢ SERVING Trail opens new 1000" stretch, on verge of snaring major grant By PAUL LAZAR For The Post Intermediate Unit 18. Last year, LIU 18 awarded ASTA the “Blazing Trails” grant and has done so again this year. The grant, equivalent to $10,000, also gives al- ternative education students a chance to work on the trail. : “We receive wonderful communi- ty support,” said Mark Albrecht, president of the Back Mountain Trail Council. “We're advocates of just getting out and meeting the See TRAIL, pg 9 In the mood for a spring stroll? Flowers, lush plant growth and yes, a little bit of exercise, can be found on the Back Mountain Trail. The trail, which is being devel oped by the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association using easements, grants and donations, is expanding another 1,000 feet at Harris Hill Road, thanks in part to help from director of grants Frank Nardone at Luzerne rt x 4 3 Bi Se Sh eRe ov BH POST PHOTO/RON BARTIZEK Sergey Alexandropov and Stacy Williams took a brisk bike ride on the Back Mountain Trail last weekend. The New Jersey couple was “just looking for a weekend away, with activities,” Williams said, and learned about the trail on a state tourism website. Memorial Day 2004 A focus on WWII vets, those in Iraq By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff ‘DALLAS — When it was started 67 years ago, the Memorial Day Parade and Service presented by American Legion Post 672 was led by the last surviv- ing veterans of the Civil War. A few years later, the honor shifted to the generation that fought in World War I, “the war to end all wars.” But war did not end, and veterans from a succes- sion of conflicts continue to marshal the parade and join in ceremonies that honor fallen comrades from all wars. This year was no different, although it had a particular . tilt to- ward the veterans of World War II, who only two days earlier had watched the dedication of a monument to their sacrifice and achievement. Ed Johnson of Dallas, arrived early at the center of town, assuring himself a good seat for the service conducted at the Dallas Honor Roll. He served in the Navy toward the end of World War II, but did not see combat. “It was over before we could go,” he said, although near the end of the war in the Pacific he believed his ship, the US.S. Frontier, would be part of an invasion force to Japan. After leaving active duty, Johnson joined the Coast Guard Reserve, rising to the rank of Lt. Commander. “We would have been called up for this,” he said about the current war in Iraq, just as his unit was about to be when the Bay of Pigs fiasco put an end to plans for invading Cuba. Dick Williams of Dallas served in the European * Theater during the last two years of the WWII. He is reluctant to speak about the experience, offering only that he was at Bastone, site of one of the most signifi- “We're eternally grateful for all that es they’ ve done.” die, ui Li iSite Sen. Charles D. Lemmond Jr. Memorial Day speaker FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Ryan Shannon and Frank Kus play with Phoenix, a dalmatian belonging to See MEMORIAL DAY, pg 3 Clarence Newcomb of Shavertown Fire and Ambulance. Pulverman has history of complaints about noise By CAMILLE FIOTI Post Correspondent DALLAS TWP. — Long before moving to the plant on Lower Demunds Road that was formerly ENCON, Pulverman Enterprises drew complaints about noise that disturbed neighbors through the night. The sheet metal plant is in violation of the township’s noise ordinance and nearby residents say the pounding and thumping created by the heavy presses have been making their lives miser- able since the beginning of the year, when Pulver- man moved in. Their story is familiar to Barbara Brennan of Courtdale Avenue, Courtdale, who lives next door to the plant’s former location. She said that during the five-year period Pulver- man operated in Courtdale she had to sleep with the television on to block out banging noises from the presses and loud music from employees’ boom boxes. “Employees would play Rock 107 at all hours of the night with the doors open. There were times when I had to get myself dressed at 1 a.m. and go down to tell them to close the doors and turn off the music.” Brennan said that over the five years she tried to get help from Courtdale Borough Council, the mayor, local police, state police, the Luzerne County Zoning Commission, and 911. “I tried everyone in the book. If Dallas Town- ship sues, I want to sue with them for what I've been through, because Courtdale did absolutely nothing.” Pulverman has until June 8 to put an end to the noise pollution it is creating or court action will be the next step said Dallas Township Solicitor Michael Melnick at the June 1 Board of Supervi- sors meeting. Several calls from a reporter to Pulverman own- er Randy Mark asking for comment have not been returned. Angry residents who live near the plant have been attending the twice monthly meetings since April looking for help from the supervisors and venting their frustrations. Ruth St. George, who lives across the street from the plant, said, “Friday night I got out of my car and the second I walked into my house it sounded like gunshots going off. It’s getting ridicu- lous!” Gilbert Griffiths, of Orchard View Terrace, said since an enforcement letter stating that the plant was in violation of the noise ordinance was sent to Mark, the noise seems to have gotten worse. Jerome and Jean Stesney of Luzerne say they also had their share of headaches and rattled nerves from a sheet metal plant in their neighbor- hood. Ten years ago, banging sounds from heavy See NOISE, pg 2 By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff in return.” Recalling a girl who couldn’t miss [E9 Wendy to offer their service,” said Bill IDETOWN - It seemed she had the magic touch. Carrie Martin was a champion horse- woman, a talented singer and artist, a sought-after hair stylist and, according to her half-brother, an extraordinary maker of tuna melt sandwiches. But on May 28, she was inadvertently caught in what police say was a robbery for drug money that cut short the life of the young woman who possessed many gifts and a generous heart. “It seemed she was always helping oth- er people,” said her grandfather, Harold “Butch” Grey. “It didn’t matter who you were, if she thought she could help you she would, and never expected anything That spirit was expressed in her volun- teer work with Special Olympics, and in the lines of girls who lined up to have their hair done by the budding stylist. She was known as “the updo queen” at the Academy of Creative Hair Design, said Carrie’s mother, Wendy Cadwalader. Speaking the evening of her daughter’s funeral, she wore the same nail color Car- rie favored. “I was amazed at the number of friends” who came to the service, she said. Among them was an honor guard com- posed of 18 students from the Law En- forcement Police Science class at West Side Vo-Tech, the program Carrie gradu- ated from last year. “Carrie being one of our own, I called Bevan, the instructor. Bevan said Carrie hoped to use her training to get involved with the State Police equestrian unit, a transition that would have been seamless for a young woman who was a four-time state 4-H draft horse champion. “Everything just came natural to her,” said Grey as he sat in his comfortable liv- ing room. On a nearby wall hung three pictures of his granddaughter, seated on a stately carriage hooked to a large, hand- some horse wearing championship rib- bons. When she first entered a show ring, be- fore she turned 2, Carrie was in her mother’s arms. As she grew, she rode show horses and ponies, just as her moth- er had done. See CARRIE, pg 2 Christy Harrison, the horse owner for whom Carrie Martin drove in competition, drove two Percheron draft horses pulling a hitch wagon bearing Carrie's casket from the Idetown United Methodist Church to Idetown Ceme- tery. Martin drove one of the horses to win the state 4-H driving championship in 2002, one of four state titles she won. FOR THE POST/ CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Inside The Post Women accepted 12 Pages, 1 Section as Mayflower Calendar ........n.... 12 CRUTCH LIL site iGrsst 11 descendants Page 5 Page 10 Page 9 Photos of local graduates from Wyoming Seminary , Bishop O'Reilly Business group holds get-together. How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 thepost@leader.net 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre PA 18711 Advertising: 970-7102 Subscriptions and Delivery: 829-5000 £ v£ —
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers