@ SCHOOLBUS @ L - @-. 115 No. 34 Ll The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 August 22 to August 28, 2004 Dallas and Ls Lake-Lehman | 3 school bus A schedules O==—0 Paes? CS = SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Olympic size fun David Oley hits the balloon over Julia Adonizio's head during a faux Olympics event during the Back Mountain Community Vaca- tion Bible School, held last week at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Dallas. The theme was “Go For The Gold ... Team Up With Je- sus.” More photos on page 2. Outpouring of support leads Richardson to reopen Decision to close was hasty, Dodge dealer admits, so he'll give it another go. DALLAS — Was it prayer, guilt or a shrewd business mind that led Jim Richard- son to reverse course and reopen his family’s Dodge dealership only a week after closing it? Maybe a little of each. Following what he admits was a hasty de- cision to close, Richardson’s conscience, tweaked by customers and friends who had done business with three generations of his By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff family, led him to give it another go. “I owe it to the people who have been so dedicated and loyal,” he said August 13, after a week of soul searching. “I got a guilt trip letting people down.” ! The second thoughts started as Richard- son opened payments arriving from cus- tomers who had received a brief letter an- nouncing the closure along with their bills. Most of the checks came with notes recount- ing years as satisfied customers and lament- ing the loss of a trusted friend. Then there were the nuns. Richardson said the Sisters of Mercy, his largest customer, said they would pray for him and whatever troubles had led to shutting the doors. “I don’t know if that worked,” he said, but a few days after hearing about the heavenly pleas, he and his family took another look at the business and decided to open again. There will be some changes in the opera- tion, though, which Richardson now sees as overdue. “I can’t operate in the olden days any more,” he said. In the past, he would extend credit to cus- tomers who were short of cash but needed to get their vehicles repaired. “If you can pay me, pay me,” was the philosophy, he said. “Those days are gone.” The dealership may even begin taking credit cards. Richardson and his son, William, will also See DODGE, pg 2 3 lifetimes in teaching Lake-Lehman bids farewell to long-term administrators By PAUL LAZAR For The Post Ninety-eight years of experi- ence. That’s what Lake-Lehman School District will miss the most with the retirement of edu- cators Bob Roberts, Robert Kun- ale and Rich Gorgone. @: and Kunkle have al- ready retired, and Roberts will join their ranks in December. Un- til then, he will mentor incoming administrators. Each has spent more than 30 years in the field of education in various positions, but their com- Gorgone, a married father of four, plans to keep busy as an as- sistant football coach at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. “It’s been a pretty good ride for me,” he said. “And when I got the op- portunity to coach at King’s 1 jumped on it.” Like his retiring colleagues, Gorgone said would do choose the same career again. Roberts, who has served the school district for 33 years as a teacher, superintendent, middle- level principal and high school co-principal, believes that his ca- reer choice allowed him to make mon focal point has always re- mained the same, the education and well-being of students in their school district. In the years they have served the students, parents and the rest of the faculty of the school district, each has seen, and been a part of, changes in education. Gorgone has been a history FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Together, Bob Roberts, Robert Kunkle and Rich Gorgone de- voted 98 years to the Lake-Lehman School District. Kunkle and Gorgone retired at the end of the last school year, and Roberts will step down in December. my desire when I was young,” he said. “I was very fortunate to be able to do it.” The high points of his career friends, many of them parents of students he has coached, along the way. “I look back and I creat- ed a lot of nice friendships with a difference, as did the teachers who inspired him. “I was undecided out of high school and went to school at LCCC and Stroudsburg, but al- ways had teachers who cared,” he said. “I just fell in love with the profession. The last year I spent at the high school was very rewarding for me as co-princi- Ready to lend a hand Not all volunteers go to disaster sites far away, some serve close to home. By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff They don’t follow hurricanes or chase tornados, but local Red Cross volunteers are always ready to help out neighbors in need. While some of their comrades respond to the devasta- tion brought to Florida by Hurricane Charley, Theresa Evans and Linda Burkardt are pre- pared to bring comfort and assis- tance to victims of tragedy closer to home. The Back Mountain residents are members of Red Cross Emer- gency Services teams that serve Luzerne County. Each of four teams covers a week in rotation, on call at times of the day when Red Cross offices are closed, principally weekdays 4:30 p.m. to 8 am, weekends and holidays. Like so many volunteers, these two have personal rea- sons for donating their time to help others. Burkhardt traveled to El Salvador a few years ago with a group from her church, Trinity Presbyterian. “After what I saw there, I wanted to give something back to the community,” she said. Leader of a team, she and her three teammates are available to support other emergency personnel or the victims of fires, floods or other adversity. Local fire chiefs call out the on-duty team when firefighters need food and water while dealing with a stubborn blaze, or when families are displaced and need housing, food, clothing or just a sympathetic ear. So far this year, Burkhardt has been called only twice, which she considers a good sign that emergencies have been infrequent. Evans, a retired real estate broker, was the recipient of assistance as a child, and when she stopped working was able to return the favor. “Red Cross would take care of us and feed us,” when she was a child in Europe, she said. Her experiences as a volunteer have included responding to a gasoline leak in Jackson Township, fires, and the explosion of fireworks in Plymouth earlier this year. “Mass care” is her favorite role, helping families with basic needs such as shelter and calming them in the storm of a disaster. . All volunteers receive the same basic training, and lo- cal volunteers could travel to the scene of major disas- ters. “That’s how the Red Cross ensures consistency nation- wide,” said Amy Gabriel, Director of Emergency Ser- vices at the Wilkes-Barre office. While additional train- ing may be needed for specific assignments, the transi- tion is easy because everyone has the same foundation. TO HELP The Red Cross welcomes new volunteers for all its services, including emer- gency response. To inquire, call 823-7161 and ask for the vol- unteers director. See RED CROSS, pg 2 FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK teacher, football coach and ath- letic director. He has always en- joyed the students, and wanted to get into teaching and coach- ing at an early age. “That was include Lake-Lehman’s district championship in 1997 and attain- ing his 100th coaching victory. As an added bonus, Gorgone has met some of his closest those parents,” he said. “You don’t realize it as it happens, but when you retire and look back, it just kind of jumps at you. I have great memories and friends.” pal.” Roberts taught social studies for about 15 years in the district before going into school adminis- tration. He recalls the dread of See RETIREES, pg 3 Something old that's new Joe and Susan Terascavage, Harveys Lake, present- ed their newest treasure at the Back Mountain car show in Lehman. It was the 21st edition of the event, which is put on by the Lake-Lehman Band Boosters. More photos on page 3. ¥ Inside The Post 12 Pages, 1 Section Calendar... oie 12 COURCEE: «iv vio sre 11 Editorials’ «ool soni 4 Obituaries... ... Lo v5 5 SCHOOL... hiecies ie lin ss 6-8 More champions! Girls win 11-year old state championship and boys wear 9-10 district crown. Page 9 <b §: YEAR BLA Carrie Martin Endowment adds $1,000 to prizes for Luzerne County Fair Queen. 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