A Vol. 118 No. 21 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 June 3 - 8, 2007 * The DALLAS 50¢ SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS AND LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS REMEMBERING A FALLEN SOLDIER CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Jack Cleary and his son, Patrick, read a proclamation duringfrom the State of Pennsylvania, honoring Lt. Michael Cleary, who was killed in Iraq during Memo- rial Day ceremonies in Dallas last Monday. For more Memorial Day photos, please turn to page 3. CARING FOR CARRIE CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Wendy Cadwalader videos the beginning of the 50-mile benefit motorcycle ride in memory of her daughter, Carrie Martin, who was killed three years ago in a drug-related murder. The ride started at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds where Carrie had ridden her horses and been the Luzerne County fair queen. For more photos of the benefit ride, please turn to page 10. af Some of the dancers who will appear in “Songs from the Silver Screen” during the 25th annual recital of the Joan Harris Centre for the Gifted and Talented June 8 and 9 at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts are, from left, first row, Katie Conrad, Dallas; Lauren Slavoski, Shavertown; Rachel Polacheck, Exeter. Second row: Mary Gittens, Dallas; Alaina Schukraft, Dallas; Krista Zimmerman, Dallas; Cierra Yonchik, Wyoming; Kiera Gross, Trucksville. Third row: Nicole Sla- voski, Shavertown; Abrianna Tolomello, Dallas; Ashlyn Wilson, Dallas, Michele Fromel, Dallas. Local girls will dance at Kirby Over 200 dancers from the Back Moun- tain communities will appear in the Joan Harris Centre’s 25th annual recital sched- uled for June 8 and 9 at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes- Barre. Titled “Songs from the Silver Screen,” this fast-paced production will showcase See DANCE, Page 10 “That can happen anywhere. | did not give it a second thought. | was just stunned. | think | would have the same reaction if it happened anywhere else, "Wow! How can this happen?" icordia. Philip Paul Pack Ill overcame childhood adversity to excel in his academic work at College Miser- Va. Tech bound CM graduates will attend medical school SPECIAL TO THE DALLAS POST Jan Bartels, 07, does not talk to the animals, nor does she pretend to. But after growing up on her family’s historic 150- acre dairy farm in Meshoppen, it did not surprise too many people when the Tunkhannock High School graduate chose to care for those same types of ani- mals as an adult. Philip Paul Pack III, ’06, al- ready has a bedside manner be- fitting a veteran family physi- cian. The Kingston Township resident gains insight into the needs and concerns of patients from his own personal 10-year struggle with debilitating mi- graine headaches. Now that he’s won that battle, he wants to touch people through osteo- pathic medicine. Together, these two College Misericordia graduates will fol- low their dreams to Virginia Tech University’s campus, where Bartels will be a graduate student in the Virginia-Mary- land Regional College of Veter- inary Medicine, and Pack will be a first-year medical school student at the Edward Via Vir- ginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) in the fall. Although the Blacksburg, Va., campus has become synony- mous with one of the worst mass school shootings in the nation’s history, that stigma did not alter Bartels’ or Pack’s plans to continue their medical schooling there. Bartels sorted through offers from the University of Missouri- Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Tennessee College of Veterin- ary Medicine before choosing to become one of 90 new veter- inarian students at Virginia Tech. “I like the campus, the school and the program,” said Bartels who accepted the FF Jan Bartels’ love for animals was nurtured on her family's dairy farm in Meshoppen. The College Misericordia graduate checks on the cows in the barn. school’s offer two days after the shootings. “That can happen anywhere. I did not give it a sec- ond thought. I was just stunned. I think I would have the same reaction if it happened anywhere else, ‘Wow! How can this happen?” Pack accepted the medical school’s offer for admission sev- eral weeks before the tragedy af- ter considering seven other schools, including the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medi- cine. A recent apartment shop- ping trip only reinforced his de- cision to join the Hokie Nation. “I was there the day after it happened,” said Pack, one of 150 members of the incoming medical school class. “It was a very humbling experience be- ing down there because the community is very close knit. The school is the keystone of the community. When this hap- pened, it just pulled everyone together.” Bartels and Pack both gradu- ated cum laude from Misericor- dia. But that’s where their famil- iarities end, despite living only a short drive from each other in Northeastern Pennsylvania and attending the same schools for their undergraduate and gradu- ate degrees. Life on the farm The daughter of Charles and Beth Bartels is your typical country girl - soft-spoken, but extremely determined and hard working. Those admirable traits can be traced to her fam- ily and their landmark dairy farm in Wyoming County, which has been in the family for more than 100 years. It is also where the future veterinarian and her two brothers learned about caring for animals and farmland. By the age of five, Bartels knew she wanted to care for the same animals that provided so much for her family. The fam- ily’s roots are deeply embedded in the soil they sow and the ani- mals they tend. But it is also the natural impetus behind Bartels’ aspirations. “I've always had a connection with animals,” Bartels says, a proud smile appearing through her serious nature. “I always feel like they're there for you no matter what. You can always turn to them. It’s just like a reg- ular friendship to me. “I've al- See TECH, Page 10 ¥ Inside The Post 12 Pages, 1 Section Complete Back Mountain Little League results Church 5 ditorials 4 bituaries 5 6 School 7 Sports 9 0 CM students reach out to world Youths receive confirmation Vv How To Reach Us News: 970-7440 news@mydallaspost.com 15 N. Main St. Wilkes-Barre PA 1871 Subscriptions 5 1 and Delivery: 829-5000
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