Vol. 115 No. 29a The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 July 18 to July 24, 2004 S Back Mountain teams surviving in playoffs. : Page 7 TE Post SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHAVERTOWN RESERVIST BACK FOR ‘VACATION’ Army Reserve Master Sergeant Steve Yanovich, Shavertown, held tightly to his wife Linda the morning after he arrived from Iraq for a 15-day break. He is serving in a prisoner detainee camp in Baghdad. Savoring a break from Baghdad By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Correspondent SHAVERTOWN — A desert refugee, he drinks in everything there is to offer be- fore his 15-day “vacation” is over. He runs upstairs, downstairs, outside and in, di- recting the traffic in his driveway while jreeting and offering food to visitors. a Reserve Master Sergeant Steve Yanovich hurries around his back yard, thirsty for the scenery and cool Pennsylva- nia mountain weather. He’s hungry for the food and his extended Back Mountain family during his first day home on leave after spending months in Iraq. Ed Straub, a fellow Reservist now re- tired, says his long-time Army friend suf- fers the usual adjustment syndrome that occurs when someone goes from an aus- FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Staff Rumors of switch from four-period day are unfounded. By RONALD BARTIZEK Principals feel Dallas has the right schedule Galicki said the presentation was requested by the board. The first slide seemed to suggest that changes could be in store. It cited a 1994 report that found many prior educa- tional reforms had failed to schedule at Dallas never will, school board meeting, DALLAS TWP. — The class High School isn't changing next year, but that doesn’t mean it That was the message pre- sented by Principal Frank Gal- icki and Assistant Principal James McGovern to about 50 people attending the July 12 Responding to rumors that changes were being contem- plated for the high school schedule, Galicki and McGov- ern gave a PowerPoint review to to the board and visitors. live up to their promises. “There is no magic schedule,” Galicki said. But a few slides further on, he said what most people in the audience wanted to hear. “We feel we've tailored the schedule to best meet our stu- dents’ needs and our staff's ability.” Dallas currently uses a “modified block schedule” with four 81-minute classroom periods and two 35-minute “flex” periods through the lunch hour. “The modified See SCHEDULE, pg 2 tere environment to a more comfortable one. “Look at how green those trees are, and everybody speaks the same language “here,” says the delighted Yanovich with a laugh. He notes that although nearly everyone in Iraq speaks Arabic, many for- eign contractors are working there as well, and that makes for confusing communica- tions. Straub and Yanovich trained together a dozen years ago at Fort Dix in New Jersey before being deployed as military police- men in Operation Desert Storm. They are medical nurses professionally and have now served their second tour of duty. They've been busy. Yanovich comments that, as MPs in detainee camps outside of Baghdad, “We probably processed 86,000 detainees.” Both men think the prisoner abuse scan- dal involving reservist MPs was “very bizarre” and “off-base.” They compared it to kids trashing the house while their par- ents are away for a weekend. Yanovich hopes he'll have his same job as a Licensed Practical Nurse at the Geno Marli Veteran Center in Scranton when he returns. “Tell them this is my official re- quest. I want the day shift.” The soldier’s friends and family just want him back safely and for good. Hugs and kisses around the backyard communi- cate pure joy. “He’s my friend and we like to go mountain biking together,” says Joe Cook, another long- time pal from Wilkes- Barre, Says Tammy Yanovich, his sister-in-law, See YANOVICH, pg 2 Try this on for size FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Kerry Freeman, whose turn on the Back Mountain Librarry Auction block always includes some pranks, demonstrated a novel use for a set of hand-knit doilies. More photos, page 3. Repairs will keep lane closed for several weeks By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff DALLAS — One lane of Main Street has been closed near the intersection with Route 309 until PennDOT can make repairs to the archway through which Toby's Creek passes below the roadway. A 10-foot-long section of corrugated metal arch is being fabricated, said Sam Galante, Assistant County Maintenance Manger for PennDOT. Once delivered, it will be placed inside the existing stone arch, PennDOT crews had been repairing a hole in the roadway, but as they worked, the hole got bigger and a section of the arch collapsed. “The apparent cause is old age and deterioration of the mortar between the stones,” Krisanda said. The metal piece will be delivered in about two weeks, and three or four more weeks will be needed to install it, said Dave Krisanda, PennDOT spokesperson in an e-mail message to The Post. The lane restriction is in place to keep traffic off the damaged part of the stone arch, which is below the center turning lane. The repairs will be permanent and the metal arch will not be visible, “We're go- ing to have to place that from the top,” Galante said, by digging up just enough of the roadway over the damaged sec- tion to allow for angling the metal piece in. The cost of repairs will be paid entire- 4 ly by the state. L <& Ryan Evans, left, of Noxen enjoyed a bowling match with his Fresh Air Fund friend, Ma- ciel Mastri- ano of Brooklyn. FOR THE POST/M.B. GILLI GAN Families offer summer respite for city kids BY M.B. GILLIGAN ost Correspondent The many volunteer hours that Denise Moskaluk of Lehman put in this past year paid off for 23 inner-city youngsters who were recently welcomed to our area. “I made a lot of phone calls, spoke at churches, and talked to the media about the Fresh Air Fund program,” said Moskaluk. “I was trying to find host families and support from the community and I had no problem getting people excited and wanting to help.” The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not- for-profit organization that provides free sum- mer vacations for inner city youngsters in need. Friendly Town Communities help by of- fering assistance and support to sponsor and underwrite expenses for entertainment and See FRESH AIR, pg 3 Second test found excessive noise BY CAMILLE FIOTI ost Correspondent ¥ Inside The Post Singer-songwriters to gather at the Dietrich. Page 12 Dallas Middle School honor students higher than 71. DALLAS TWP. — Township offi- cials laid out their case July 12 in the first of a scheduled two-night hear- ing on an appeal by Pulverman En- terprises of a noise ordinance viola- tion notice filed against the Lower Demunds Road plant. Before a standing-room-only crowd, Zoning Officer Leonard Koz- ick testified that starting in March he had received numerous complaints from residents about loud noises em- + anating from the sheet metal plant. Dallas Township Zoning Hearing Monday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. At the township building, Rt. 309 The second part of the hearing on an appeal by Pulverman En- terprises of a notice of violating the noise ordinance. Township Engineer Thomas Doughton performed noise studies several times in April using a dosemeter, a hand-held device that measures decibels. The decibel limit in the township's noise ordinance is 72.3The meter showed no reading A large number of frustrated and sleep-deprived residents continued to protest at each township meeting. They said the noises were getting worse and pleaded with the supervi- sors to do something about the prob- lem that they said was making their lives miserable. A second sound study was per- formed in May using a more sophisti- cated sound meter called an octave- band analyzer, which measures dif- ferent octave levels, in conjunction See NOISE, pg 2 Page 10 12 Pages, 1 Section calendar... i. cov, 12 COUICIY ears is oid vid vs 1 CrossSWorc vv os 8 EQOrIAIS: .. vi ouvviiss 4 ODIUBIIES vv's viv cvs eas 5 SChOO):, vives viva 9-10 SPORES. « oivieuienu,nio nies 7-8 ¥ How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 thepost@leader.net 15 N. 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