L Vol. 116 No. 27 Natural forms on exhibit in Tunkhannock. | 12 The Back Mountain's Newspaper Since 1889 July 3 to July 9, 2005 SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS & LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS Even as a new well comes on line, compa- : ny seeks additional water sources. By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff BACK MOUNTAIN — With a new well ping, shortages should be a thing of the past for customers of United Water Pennsylvania. For now. “I think with the new well we're in very good condition for the next few years,” said Kirby Pack, director of operations on Thursday. The Gephart Well, located behind the Elmcrest subdivision in Dallas Township, is able to pump up to 200,000 gallons per day. It went on line last Wednesday. “It has made a significant difference,” Pack said. The company’s three storage tanks are nearly filled again. Pack expected to lift mandatory restrictions on water use Friday, but said customers will be asked to continue voluntary cutbacks on car washing and sprin- kling. Customers helped the company get through the challenging period. “The compliance with the mandatory restriction was nearly 100 per- cent,” Pack said. As a result, the tanks began to refill during the overnight hours a week Water shortage fixed, for now ago. Now, fed by the new well, they are filling up during the day as well. The shortages affected homes at higher ele- vations in both Dallas and Shavertown. The utility has three storage tanks, designed to off- set short-term periods of high demand. Water levels in all three — at Stonehedge and near the high school in Dallas and off Mount Airy Road in Shavertown — were falling. “They are interdependent on each other,” - Pack said, as are the Dallas and Shavertown water systems, which between them serve about 3,000 homes and businesses. See WATER, Page 2 United Water Pennsylvania set up portable water tanks on Center Hill Road and on Marywood Drive for use by resi- dents affected by shortages last week. A new well has alleviat- ed the short- ages. FOR THE POST/ CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK BACK MOUNTAIN GARDEN TOUR Bloomers garden club. Peek in this backyard, and Larry Schuler’s garden will be one of six available to visit during the second annual garden tour sponsored by the Back Mountain 9 more By CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Post Correspondent z DALLAS TWP. — It’s a gar- den of his delights and play- ground for his passion. A pas- sion for foxglove, Asian lilies, hostas, daisies, all flowers bright and beautiful. His garden thrives better now that Larry Schuler, former wrestling and track “I like floating on my back in the pool, when all the flowers are out, and looking at all the colors.” Schuler will share his passion for flowers and his backyard par- adise with the public July 16 as part of the Back Mountain Bloomers second annual garden tour. He is used to the attention. “Really, we've always has a lot of coach and wellness teacher at Dallas High School, has retired. And he’s enjoying it more, too. people stop by and ask if they could come in and look around. We always ask them in,” says Schuler. Eight years ago when Schuler and his wife Peg built their home in Dallas, his keen interest in gardens and backyard envi- ronments began. “Yes, my parents had veg- etable gardens, and so did we in Shavertown, but when we moved here I started by trying to save the two large oak trees in front of the house. The con- struction people thought I was crazy, but I built a stone wall around the trees to save them. Even so, some other trees that were marked to be saved were cut down,” and that began a cre- ative odyssey Schuler has con- tinued in his backyard. Today his backyard boasts labyrinths of hand-built stone walls, “built so that you can See GARDEN, Page 2 Huntsville Road section slated for temporary fix Then, next year, all 2.25 miles to the dam will get major renovations. By RONALD BARTIZEK Post Staff DALLAS — A portion of Huntsville Road will be resur- faced later this month, a prelude to a larger job scheduled for 2006. That project was planned for 2002, but has been held up by environmental reviews. This year’s work will improve the stretch from Main Street to the vicinity of Pinecrest Avenue in Dallas Borough. “We need to do something to try to hold that together,” said Luzerne County Engineer Jim Brozena. Over the course of two or three days, an overlay will be put down to help prevent more damage to the road base. Brozena could not predict if a detour would be neces- sary, “If we can get in and out of there quicker by detour- ing for a day, we may do that,” he said. And, no, the work won’t take place during the library auction later this week, when hundreds of cars use Huntsville to get to the library. “We're coordinating it around that.” Library director Martha Butler is happy the road will be repaired. “It’s terrible coming off onto Franklin,” she said. “You feel it every time you go over it.” The larger reconstruction, which encompasses 2 1/4 miles of road from Dallas to the Huntsville Dam, will be done next year. The road will be widened where possible to 11-foot travel lanes with paved shoulders up to three feet wide. Now the lanes are 10-feet, and shoulders are gravel, if they exist at all. While the small portion will cost the county $50,000, the complete job is budgeted at $900,000. It will be put out to bid by PennDOT, and 75 percent of the cost will be paid by the federal government. The county’s 25 percent share is allocated in community development funds. The project could grow even larger, Brozena said. “If the planets align, we’ll bid Hillside/Huntsville from the dam to 309 and Chase Road.” That will depend partly on whether environmental and engineering reviews can be completed before the bids are sought. Brozena said part of the delay was caused when the orig- inal environmental contractor went out of business before completing its reviews, which included looking for historic artifacts. For now, though, the goal is modest, laying down a tem- porary surface “just to make it passable,” Brozena said. “We hope people can hang in there for one year.” ® Back Mountain Idol’ deadline extended The Harveys Lake Homecoming Weekend Committee is still looking for tal- ent for its first annual “Back Mountain Idol” singing competition, to be held on Sunday, August 14 at Sandy Beach, Harveys Lake. ContestantS must be between the ages of 18 and 25 and a resident of the Dallas or Lake-Lehman school district area. Finalists must be available to perform at various Harveys Lake establishments throughout July. The final performance and vote will take place at the festival on August 14. Prizes will be awarded. Interested participants are required to submit their name, address and phone number, along with a CD or cassette tape of their performance not to exceed 3.5 min- utes by July 18 to “Harveys Lake Homecoming Weekend Idol Committee,” P.O. Box 83, Harveys Lake, PA 18618. The finalists will be notified by mail. All submissions become the property of the festival committee and will not be returned. Judging will be done by individu- als outside the committee, and the decision of the judges is final. : V Inside The Post Dallas High School Class of 2005 photo. Page 9 Don't miss the 59th Back Mountain Library Auction. Special Section inside 12 Pages, 1 Section CAIONAaE 0... vail 12 CRUrCh . ... ssid vii 1 Crossword... ... uo 00. 8 Editorials’... iv nod 4 Obituaries’... vik 5 SCHOOL oc ulus inn 8-10 SPOOFS: Lunn va svn 7 ¥ How To Reach Us News: 675-5211 FOR THE POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Can't get fresher than this Shane Panugakos squeezes lemons at the Gate of Heaven bazaar, held June 23-25 at the church in Dallas. The 11th annual event enjoyed good weather and a big turnout. More photos on page 3. thepost@leader.net 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre PA 18711 Advertising: 829-7101 Subscriptions and Delivery: 829-5000
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