Vol. 119 No. 42 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 October 19 - 25, 2008 ATIAS PO 50¢ Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Couples honored for efforts By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com When Judy Rimple moved to the Back Mountain from Colorado in the early 1990s, she was disappoint- ed there weren’t more areas to ride her bicycle. She especially longed to ride from her home in Dallas to Wilkes-Barre. Already involved with the Penn- sylvania Environmental Council, Rimple pulled together her hus band, David, and several friends in 1993 to form the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association. From there, the Back Mountain Trail was born. David and Judy Rimple, of Dallas, and Don and Wendy Sweppenheiser, of Tunkhannock, are several of the re- cipients chosen to receive the 2008 Environmental Partnership Awards. Hate = The couples * TOU BU will be honored A fall cleanup atthe Pennsylva- of the Back nia Environmen- Mountain Trail tal Council's and rom 9 a.m. - noon on Sat- em Pennsyiva- urday, Nov. 8, nia Environmen- and fromfla.m. talPartners’ 18th - 2 p.m. on Annual Evening Sunday, Nov.16. for Northeast Leaf blowers, 0 rakes and Poin gloves are welcome. Meet from 5 to 9 pm. at the DAMA on Wednesday, exit off Route Oct. 29, at the 309. For more Woodlands Inn information: and Resort in call Angie a : the arya Plains Town: nia Environ- ship. mental Council Other win at 718-6507. ners of the 2008 Environmental Partnership Awards are Countryside Conservan- cy, Tim Ference, Monroe County Conservation District and Susque- hanna Warrior Trail. David J. Lame- @:- is the recipient of the 2008 P. Shelburne Environmen- tal Leadership Award. The Rimples received the award for their part in creating the Anthra- cite Scenic Trails Association which developed the Back Mountain Trail and the Black Diamond Trail from Mountain Top to White Haven. The first two miles of the Back Mountain Trail, from Luzerne to Trucksville, were converted from an old railroad bed and opened in 1999. On November 1, an addition- al three miles ofthe Back Mountain Trail will open, allowing the trail to span a total of five miles from Lu- zerne to Lower Demunds Road in Dallas Township and costing over $1.5 million to construct. “It looks so simple but it’s so com- plex,” David Rimple said. “For the most part, the railroad was sold off in pieces. It is like trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.” Plans exist for the trail to con- nect west to Ricketts Glen State Park and south to Wilkes-Barre, Laurel Run and the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor from White Haven to Jim Thorpe. “The concept is a lot of people don’t like to go out and back,” Judy Rimple said of walking and bicy- cling enthusiasts. “They wanttodo circles. The goal is how many cir- cles can we build?” Another major goal in place is to connect the trail with the Dallas schools to promote walking and biking to school and for the use of sports teams such as the cross- country team. The Rimples say several people already use the trail See COUPLES, Page 9 6 IBN98 1512007 98llg ed] J CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Tom Baseski, one of the owners of Thomas'' Market, is excited about the opening of the company’s second store in the Back Mountain. The first Tho- mas’ Family Market Super Food Town, whic h will be 43,000 square feet and offer many goods and services that are not available at other Thomas’ locations, is set to open in Dallas within thie upcoming months. Thomas By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com 1S expanding daily basis. ers interact with their customers on a “Whether it’s dropping my children homas Baseski, Pam Evans and Chris Evans never thought they would one day own the supermarket where they worked. The three, who were all once em- ployees of the former Insalaco’s Su- permarket in the County Club Shop- ping Center in Dallas, are opening a Thomas’ Family Market Super Food Town at the location. They are also owners of the four other Thomas’ Family Market locations in Shaver- town, Tunkhannock, Kingston and Hazleton. “That’s the American dream,” Base- ski said. “You start at the bottom and work your way up." Carverton natives Baseski, 39, and Pam Evans, 37, are brother and sister. Pam met Chris Evans, 41, at Insalaco’s in 1988. He grew up about 100 yards behind the current Thomas’ Family Market in Shavertown. While at Insalaco’s, Baseski and Chris Evans were store managers and Fis <a Pam Evans, Tom Baseski and Chris Evans will open a Thomas’ Family Marlket Super Food Town in Dallas within the upcoming months. The store will employ about 100 people and a job fair to fill full and part-time posi- tions is planned. Pam Evans was a front-end manager. Chris Evans later became a district man ager for Insalaco’s. In 1997, the trio took over Thomas’ Marlket and kept the name of the store. Over the past 11 years, they have had six stores, selling two small- er ones, and are now adding another. Because of their ties to Dallas and their presence in the stores, the own- off at Dallas Elementary School, at CCD, at Gate of Heaven or the Back Mountain Little League, we see our customers all the time,” Baseski said. Working in sync is important to Thomas’ owners in order to run their business smoothly. Baseski is respon- sible for administrative matters, Chris Evans for operations and Pam Evans for customer service. Many other family members con- tribute to the success of the stores. Baseski and Pam Evans’ parents, Bar- ry and Theresa Baseski, work for Tho- mas’. Baseski’s wife, Hayley, works at the office with him. Debbie Gaylord, Baseski and Pam Evans’ sister, is deli manager at the Kingston store. Chris Evans and Pam Evans’ son, Chris, 15, is a cashier at the Kingston store. The owners also say their supervi- sor, Elmer Blackwell, who has worked with Chris Evans in the grocery busi- ness for 19 years, and five store man- See THOMAS’, Page 9 | i After rough start, she’s home in NYC By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com On only the third day of serv- ing an internship in New York City, Amanda Ahmad was get- ting ready to leave her apart- ment when she heard the news - a plane had hit the World Trade Center. After September 11, 2001, Ahmad questioned if city life was for her. Seven years later, not only is she a New York City resident, she is director of tal- ent development for Spike TV and TV Land. On September 11 of this year, Ahmad, a Dallas native, return- ed to Penn State Wilkes-Barre, which she once attended, to speak to students there as part of the Alumni Career Speaker Series. The new program at the university provides monthly career sessions to students. “I've always wanted to do something in media,” she said. “Even from when I was really little, I've had ‘a keen under- standing of 'who was do- ing what in entertain- ment.” ' Ahmad, : who turns 30 on October 31, iss a 1997 gradu- ate of Dallas Higgsh School. She attended Ithaca (College during her freshman year of college, transferring to Penn State Wilkes-Barre as ia sophomore. She completed her junior and senior years at Penn State Uni- versity Park andl graduated in December 2001 with a bache- lor’s degree in te:lecommunica- tions. During her seifior year in col- lege, Ahmad wanted to do an internship. Using a catalog of contacts at Penn State, she went to New York City and in- terviewed for several intern- ships and, when she was select- ed for a position in talent devel- Ahmad opment at VHI, she relocated to the city. The last thing she expected was a terrorist attack. “I was really homesick and nervous and it was my last se- mester and all of my friends were still at University Park,” Ahmad said. “It was really in- timidating. The building I worked in was the building where they shoot TRL in Times Square. When the first plane hit, I had the TV on and I saw what was happening. I was able to walk from where I lived to Times Square. I was going through the emotions. I called my mom to tell her, ‘I'm fine.’ I think from that perspective I didn’t feel alone because no- body ever experienced any- thing like that before.” Ahmad made it safely to work that day, only to be evac- uated from the building and sent home not long after she ar- See NYC, Page 10 Dallas High CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST School Homecoming activities set for next weekend The Dallas High School Stu- dent Council will host 2008 Homecoming activities on Octo- ber 25. There will be a breakfast at 11 a.m. for the Homecoming Court followed by the football game against Berwick at 1p.m. The 2008 Homecoming King and Queen will be announced during the halftime show of the football game. The queen will represent Dallas in the Ameri- ca’s Homecoming Queen Con- A Nl od test and the runner up will be in the Miss Unico Pageant. There will be a semi-formal dance from 7 to 10:30 p.m. that evening at the high school. Members of the 2008 Homecoming Court at Dal- las High School are, from left, Christian Szot, Alex Slocum, Scott Daube, Mark Gilbert, Preston Balavage, Shauna Phil- lips, Jill Jackson, Brittany Kneal, Candice Bittner and Mor- gan Kunkle. eM a. a
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