*The » One step, two step 3 Vol. 118 No. 38 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 September 23 - 29, 2007 DALTAS ‘Post. SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS AND LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS “It’s just something to do together as a couple.” Jane Stredny Ballroom dance student CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Jane and Rich Stredny, Harveys Lake, enjoy their ballroom dance lesson Wednesday evening at Prince of Peace Church. By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Carol Jones was tired of watching ev- eryone else dance. She decided it was time to learn how so she and her hus- band Dale, of Shavertown, signed up for ballroom dancing lessons. The Joneses and six other couples took to the dance floor Wednesday eve- ning in an intimate setting at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Dallas. The couples are taking ballroom dancing les- sons from Ned and Lois Hartman of the Ballroom Barn. New beginners classes started September 19 in celebration of National Ballroom Dance Week, which is celebrated September 14 through September 23. The classes run through the end of the year. The Hartmans teach international style ballroom dancing. One male and one female instructor, usually the Hartmans, attend all classes so students can properly learn tech- niques from both sexes. The classes are for couples only to ensure everyone has a danc- ing partner. Instructors will be teaching swing, rumba, the cha cha, and more. Two to three new areas are covered each session. Class began with a snappy rumba song in- viting students to ‘move. Couples spread their arms into a butterfly position and placed the palms of their hands against their partners’ hands. “Forward, recover, side. Back, recover, side,” Hartman instructed the group. He coached everyone to complete these six steps during one measure of music. After the students got the hang of basic steps, the Hartmans added the New Yorker which consists of crossing to the side and re- covering to the front. The students also prac- CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Couples including Larry Kalnoskas and Marianne Lurie, Orange, brush up on their dance steps at a ballroom dance class held at Prince of Peace Episcopal Church . ticed with a mellow rumba. In the last 15 minutes, the Hartmans intro- duced swing and couples learned how to do a triple'step and a rock step, which is a rock back and a recover forward. They did a triple step, triple step, and a rock step. Jane and Rich Stredny of Harveys Lake en- rolled in the classes so they could have a good time and meet new people. “It’s just something to do together as a couple,” said Jane Stredny. Dancing for years Ned and Lois Hartman of Dallas have been dancing since the day they met. Ned was in the Marine Corps and had just come back to the area. He met Lois on his birthday and asked her to dance. Months later when he got out of the service, Hartman looked up Lois, the two dated and were married four months later. That was 52 years ago. The Hartmans have been doing interna- tional style ballroom dancing since 1969. They took many classes by instructors hail- ing from all over the world and, for years, danced an entire weekend each month. The two traveled to the Bethlehem area for years to dance. When age set in, though, they got tired of traveling and began dancing locally. People quickly noticed the Hartmans were talented and asked if they would be willing to give lessons so the Hartmans founded the Ballroom Barn in May 2006. “We've had such a wonderful life with dancing that we’d like other couples to enjoy what we enjoy,” said Lois Hartman. Ballroom Barn classes started out at The Apple Tree Terrace at Newberry Estates in Dallas. About 13 couples who took Ballroom Barn classes are now at a more advanced lev- el. Once a month, they get together and hold dinner dances at The Apple Tree Terrace. But the establishment was not available on Wednesday evenings for new beginners’ classes so the Hartmans rent space at Price of Peace Church. The Hartmans’ goal is to teach area people all the knowledge of ballroom dancing they have. Once they feel enough skilled people can take over for them, they will retire and hope to do so within the next two years. DALLAS HARVEST FESTIVAL JONATHAN J. JUKA/ FOR THE DALLAS POST For the fifth consecutive year, Mother Nature cooperated for the annual Dallas Harvest Festival held on Main Street in the borough every year. According to Dallas Borough Manager Jo- seph Moskovitz, this year's festival was the most organized of all due to proper planning and lots of cooperation from those in- volved. For more photos of the Dallas Harvest Festival, please turn to Page 7. Her skills won Pa. pageant title By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com It’s not about beauty queens. The Preteen Pennsylvania Schol- arship and Recognition Program does not allow make-up, heels, glitter or sequins. Instead, girls ages seven to 12 are judged on academics, activities, voluntee- rism, personal skills and abilities. Twelve-year-old Lindsey Stam- er of Tunkhannock is the 2007 Preteen Pennsylvania Senior Di- vision titleholder, edging out ap- proximately 50 girls for the title. She now advances to nationals in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in July 2008. “I never thought I would ac- tually win and I didn’t know how to react,” said Stamer. “We were just in shock,” said Stamer’s mother, Barbara. “We just sat there.” Barbara says the family did not go to the contest with the anticipation of her daughter winning. Instead, they just wanted her to try her best. To participate in the contest, Stamer needed to first send in a variety of papers. These papers consisted of scholastic records, hours of volunteer service, school honors and activities. Once selected as a finalist, Stam- er and her family traveled to Car- lisle in August for competition. There, the girls took a general knowledge ability test and were evaluated on their communica- tive ability. Stamer had the highest overall score among the categories. As the winner, she was awarded a $1,000 educational bond, a tro- SUBMITTED PHOTO Lindsey Stamer is the 2007 Preteen Pennsylvania winner. phy, banner and jacket. Optional categories in the competition are speech and tal- ent. Participating in these catego- ries does not affect chances of Stamer chose to do a ballet piece to the song “Daniel” and her dance teacher, Wendy Peck- ins, helped her prepare the rou- tine. Stamer also gave a speech on what the word achievement means to her. Stamer’s perform- ances earned her first runner-up in speech and second runner-up in talent. This was the third year Stamer participated in the scholarship program, having won the talent competition last year and going to nationals where she was a mer- it finalist. It was Stamer’s fifth grade See TITLE, Page 9 These girls are certamly not horsin’ around By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Alexis Kolbeck and Katelyn Hug have no time to horse around. The young eques- trians both recently won third place in their respective divi- sions at the Ninth Annual Lendon Gray’s Youth Dressage Festival at the HITS Show- grounds in Saugerties, N.Y. Both girls train under Karen Orloff-Yatsko, owner of Peace- ful Valley Equestrian Center in Northmoreland Township. Both have been training and riding since they were about 5 years old. Orloff-Yatsko explains that dressage (pronounced druh- sahzh) is a form of English rid- ing and is one of the original forms of horsemanship. In So- crates’ time, horses were trained to be used as weapons during war and fighting. Dres- sage means to train in French and the horses were trained to respond to riders’ slightest cues. Today, dressage is a form of riding in horse competitions. Riders must undergo tests and horses must complete a precise pattern to show they have ob- tained a specific level of train- ing. Kolbeck, of Dallas, competed in the 14/15 year old category at the second or training level where her overall score of 81.5 won a bronze medal, a horse cooler and a blanket that cools the horse for her overall score of 81.5. Kolbeck rode one of only three stallions in the entire competition and Orloff-Yatsko finds it commendable that a young girl could control a stal- lion. The horse, an Irish Cobb named Lir, is a true gentleman, according to Orloff-Yatsko. Hug, a Lake Winola resident, was recognized for her 4-year- old Paint Horse, Tornado, the youngest horse in the entire fes- tival. Hug scored 80.5 at the second level and was awarded a bronze medal and a $50 gift cer- tificate for horse supplies in the 13/14 age division. Her medal was signed by Lendon Gray, a former Olympic rider who spe- cializes in developing children into experienced riders. See GIRLS, Page 3 SUBMITTED Peaceful Valley Equestrain Center riders Alexis Kolbeck and Kate- lyn Hug recently competed in the ninth annual Lendon Gray's Youth Dressage Festival at the HITS Showgrounds in Saugerties, N.Y. The girls both placed third in their divisions. Shown are Alexis Kolbeck, Karen Orloff-Yatsko, trainer and owner of Peaceful Valley Equestrian Center; and Katelyn Hug.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers