Vol. 118 No. 51 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 December 23 - 29, 2007 LLAS POST. SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF THE DALLAS AND LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Singing heartily‘during a Christmas production at Gate of Heaven School in Dallas are, from left, Madison DeWees, Lauren Ungvarsky, Joseph Waslin, Peter Khoudary and and Gina Kerrick. . Singing in the holidays at Gate of Heaven Even the smallest of students got into the Christmas spirit 7 during the annual Christmas program presented by students at the Gate of Heaven School. From toy soldiers to the ABCs of Christmas to Mary, Jo- seph and the Baby Jesus, children in pre-school, kindergar- ten and first grade presented the story of Christmas to their fellow classmates and to parents and friends. Students in the pre-school 3 class sang “Soldier Band,” “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” and Away in a Manger.” Pre-school 3 students are Jacob Baldrica, Joshua Brady, “Dashing Through the Snow” and “Thirty-Two Feet and Eight Little Tails.” Pre-school 4 students are Sammy Santangelo, Lauren Ungvarsky, Peter Khoudary, Brooke Evelock, Jake Pizzo- lato, Gabrielle Shonis, Matthew Carty, Harely Sabol, Madison Dewees, Joseph Waslin, Gina Kerrick, Colin Marshall, Joshua MacDougall, Emily Crahal and Keith Garri. The pre-school 4 teacher is Mrs. Lisa Simkulak, assisted by Mrs. Theresa Jankoviak. Marcella Cantando, Lorelei Centrella, Santino Diana, Tho- mas Doran, Lauren Glickert, Alexander Hajkowski, Gracie Huntington, John Kuderka, Marlee Letoski, Isabella Locke, Abygale Mikolaichik, Calli Ogurkis, Bryan Osipow- er, Gabrielle Randazzo, Sarah Skroronski, Willow Walter, Adam Walp, Emily Williams, Angelo Zarola and Allison Students in the kindergarten class presented “The ABCs of Christmas” with Alana Antonello singing “Carol, Children, Carol.” Kindergarten students are Cheyanna Hillman, Aliyah Sala- zar, Morgan Patla, Alana Antonello, Tyler Osipower, James Frederick, Jacob Brennan, Samantha Aben, Christian Diana, Zeiss. The pre-school 3 teacher is Mrs. Amy Layaou, assisted by Mrs. Deborah Grundowski. August Bednar, Olivia Connors, Nicole Joanlanne, Jack Gal- Jack Farrell took time to wonder about the holiday during the show. Pre-school 4 students offered “Jingle, Jingle, Jingle,” wall lis, Hunter Love, John Cantando, Ryan Maloney, Carly Cava: See PROGRAM, Page 10 e Scouts, Marines join to bring holiday joy to kids By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com The Marines may be the toughest branch of the military, but when it comes to underprivileged kids, they’ve got hearts bigger than ever. As representatives of the Toys for Tots Founda- tion, United States Marine Corps Reserves mem- bers HM1 Richard Varner of Wilkes-Barre and Staff Sergeant Mark Pfleegon of Milton stopped by Dallas Middle School last Friday evening to pick up donated toys and speak to members of Cub Scout Pack 281 and Boy Scout Troop 281 of Dallas. The Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts collected 188 toys for the Toys for Tots program at their an- nual combined Christmas party. “Every toy donated in the eight counties in our unit in Northeastern Pennsylvania stays in our ar- ea,” Varner said. & “You get their attention in a world of baggy pants and everything else,” Pfleegon said. “I think it sets a good example.” The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation collects and donates toys which are distributed to needy children at Christmastime. Toys for Tots was founded as a pilot program in 1947 by Los An- geles resident Major Bill Hendricks of the United States Marine Corps Reserves at the suggestion of his wife, Diane. The first year was successful and the program was accepted by the Marine Corps in 1948. Boy Scout Ryan DeRemer, 12, a seventh-grader at Dallas Middle School, purchased a toy tractor with his own money for Toys for Tots. “I think it’s a good idea so everyone could have toys for Christmas,” DeRemer said. Cub Scout Wolf Den Pack member Edward Zo- chowski, 8, a second-grader at Dallas Elementary School, brought in a hand-held video game to give to needy child. Zochowski helped pick out the toy with his mom and thinks it’s cool. “Cause some kids’ parents might have died and they don’t have family and they might not make enough money to be able to get them Christmas See TOYS, Page 10 SLEIGH BELLS RING CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Students in the kindergarten class at Ross Elementary School enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn sleigh, complete with Santa, courtesy of the Ross Elementary PTO. Upon exiting the sleigh, the students were given a gift of a long-sleeved Ross Elementary t-shirt, also courtesy of the PTO.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers