L Vol. 116 No. 25 Ready to serve up food and fun at Gate of § Heaven 12 The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 June 19 to June 25, 2005 50¢ SERVING THE COMMUN TIE Sor THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION A day of memories both happy and sad Editor's Note: The Post asked member of the junior class at allas High School to write an article about the 2005 gradua- tion ceremony. By KATIE PETERS For The Post The high temperature on sticky 86 degrees. The air was so saturated with humidity that it had become palpable. The only relief offered was an all-too-brief, fleeting breeze that would occasionally dip low enough so that the proud, excited, and anxious friends, family and teachers of Dallas June 10 had been a thick, See DALLAS, Page 9 FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Dallas High School graduates sent mortar boards flying at the con- clusion of the June 10 ceremonies. Matt Daube gave his mother Sheri Daube the biggest after-graduation hug. Dallas Grad Lock-In was good, safe fun _ By MEGAN ELAINE VODZAK 2005 Dallas High School Salutatorian What better way to celebrate and keep a graduated senior class out of trouble than to lock the freshly released class together through the night after commencement? Since 2000, parents of Dallas seniors past, present and future, have donated an immeas- urable amount of time, planning, organiza- tion and cash each year in an effort to give all of the graduating seniors a final night of bonding and fun before they part ways for the summer and ultimately the years to come. Although it was hard to picture taking part in the much-awaited graduation activities, it is an even harder concept to grasp now that it has already passed. After delivering my salutatorian speech, eceiving my diploma, hugging my family and friends, and going back to my house, I happily returned to the place that I had just PHOTO BY JANA STEC Eric Davis and the “most adorable” Maxine Kesselman pose in their tropical costumes. TiN \ % so recently been squirming to get out of. The doors to the high school were open between 10:30 and 11 p.m. on June 10, and any stu- dents who entered could not leave until about 6 the next morning. Using a non-John Milton related “Paradise Lost” theme, the front hallway, gym, and cafe- teria were decorated with palm trees, beach balls, flamingos and other luau associated trimmings. Underwater, pirate ship, and fancy car backdrops along with a costume rack allowed the taking of quick snapshots in the hallway, prompting many guys to dress in drag and provide quite a few laughs. The gym was filled with massive blow-up activity area, which left us all feeling as though we were competing on the show “Gladiator” as we were able to go head-to-head through an obstacle course, battle one another on pedestals, see who could outrun the bung Nature's artistry revealed In park walk By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Correspondent Most people don’t think of insects as they go about their everyday lives. In fact, insects are hardly noticed unless they bite, which is surprising because there are so many that they are the largest group of animals, larg- er than all other groups combined. A few people motivated to learn more about insects — especially dragonflies — met June 8 at one of the back entrances to Frances Slocum State Park. Led by naturalist, Mike Koval, from the North Branch Land Trust, they cautiously crept around a metal fence lined with poison ivy and into a world most of us would miss. “I come with my kayak to this park all the time. I see turtles, ducks and geese, but I never knew this was here,” said Lou Yerabeck, Shavertown. The small group walked along a paved single-lane path, listening to birds call, and hoping to see the first dragonfly. “This (path) used to be a road,” said long- See DRAGONFLIES, Page 3 FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK An up close and personal look at a Aurora damsel fly held by Rick Koval, a naturalist from the North Branch Land Trust. See LOCK-IN, Page 3 Planning and engineering experts sought By CAMILLE FIOTI Post Correspondent form a comprehensive plan and to completely finished, which know your cousin did the work, DALLAS TWP. — The supervi- sors voted at their June 7 meeting to advertise to receive credentials for a professional engineering service to provide advice and technical assistance for the Leonard’s Creek flood protection project. They also voted to adver- tise for the qualifications of pro- fessional planning services to rewrite the township’s zoning, subdivision and land ordinances. Proposals for both projects will be opened at the June 21 meeting. Township engineer Thomas Doughton said he spoke with Pulverman Enterprises owner Randy Mark on June 2 to sched- ule an inspection of the plant's sound control improvements. He said that the inspection is post- poned until work on the ceiling is should be by the end of this ‘month. “I've been down there sev- eral times in the evening, and in my.opinion, the noise is definite- ly suppressed,” Doughton said. “Then you're not coming to the right spots, youre not coming at the right times and youre not staying at the house and living there,” shot back Michael Kovalick. “I have no reason to lie, I have better things to be doing. I but it is not completed and we're not satisfied.” Doughton said that at least 90 percent of the noise is coming from the ceiling. “A 1-by-1 foot hole transmits as much noise as a 30-by-30 foot hole. It has to be all closed up,” he said. He sympa- thized with Kovalick and other residents in attendance, but urged them to be patient until the ceiling is completed. Water company urges caution in Dallas A new well is almost ready for use. In the mean- time, voluntary restrictions are asked. Staff report DALLAS - United Water Pennsylvania has asked cus- tomers in the Back Mountain to rein in their water use by 5 to 10 percent a day. Because of recent hot and dry weath- er conditions, water use is outstripping the rate at which the underground aquifers are refilling by about 25,000 gal- lons a day, said Kirby Pack director of operations for the company. To ease the stress on the company’s five wells in the area water from a series of storage tanks is being used, Pack said, United Water Pennsylvania serves more than 8,000 cus- tomers in its Dallas and Shavertown zones. The company has been pumping about 40,000 gallons a day from its Shavertown wells to Dallas customers in recent years. “Right now we've seen decline in storage for the past five days,” Pack said. The tanks are at between 60 to 70 percent of capacity. Pack said the situation is a result of rel- atively dry conditions and a likely increase in residents watering lawns. “I don"t think there’s anything going here like a drought,” he said. “You're far away from anything like that.” : A sixth well that has been in development for the past two years is slated to open in two or three weeks, Pack said. The additional water flow of up to 200,000 gallons a day should ease pressure on the other wells. Pack said in August that about 50,000 gallons per day would be used initially, allowing the company to turn off the intercon- nection to its Shavertown division. The well, located off Jacklin Lane, behind the Elmcrest See WATER, Page 2 Inside The Post 12 Pages, 1 Section Calendar: ............ 12 ChUrCh .... oc iiss 1 Editorials |... .. cou ib 4 Obituaries. ........ ov, 2 School 8-10 Regular-season champi- onship games on tap in Back Mountain Baseball. ( Graduates galore. Vacation Bible School directory. How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 ol thepost@leader.net 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre PA 18711 1 Advertising: 829-7101 Subscriptions and Delivery: 829-5000 | | ; | | |
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers