Vol. 119 No. 43 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 October 26 - November 2, 2008 The DALLAS POST. Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Everybody’s pleasant and we try to have a very nice game. I always say, Ellie Gerchak Leader of the bridge group don’t forget, we're here to have fun and make money for the children. Bridge group gives members’ fees to Shriners Hospital By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com t was late spring of this year when Rever- end Diane Sickler first learned the Shrin- ers Hospitals for Children Marathon Bridge Group needed substitute players. Sickler called to sign up and was told the group would not meet again until October. Disappointed, but patient, Sickler waited four months. On Friday, Oct. 17, she finally got to play. “I just moved to Dallas a year and a half ago and I love to play bridge,” said Sickler, the minis- ter at Unity Church in Wilkes-Barre. “But being a single person, it’s hard to find a bridge group. You have to expand beyond the church community and meet new people. And I don’t go to bars.” Shriners Hospitals for Children Marathon Bridge Group is an all ages, co-ed group that plays at 10:30 a.m. on the third Friday of each month from October through June at the Irem Temple Country Club in Dallas. Although the group is not associated with Shriners Hospitals, it donates money raised from regular member dues to the charitable organization. There is no fee for substitute players. The bridge group was started by the late Bill and Pauline Clewell of Trucksville. Ellie Ger- chak, 76, of Dallas, was a member of the group for about four years when the Clewells, who were oro RAT v CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST John Bougher, of Dallas, peers intently at the hand he has been dealt during a session of a bridge club in Dallas. ard sharks help kids JOIN THE GROUP 7 IR’ Those who are interested in becoming sub- stitute players for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Mara- thon Bridge Group should call Ellie Gerchak at 675-8346. Wallace Williams keeps score while Maude Anker continues the play during a bridge club session in Dallas. aging, asked her to take over as leader of that group and of another bridge group at the Wilkes Barre YMCA. That was about 19 years ago. Gerchak moved the YMCA group to Irem and donated proceeds made during the games to the Back Mountain Memorial Library. After several years, however, it became too difficult for her to run two groups and she eliminated the second group. The first group that always met at Irem contin- ued under Gerchak who decided that money raised from that group should go to Shriners Hospitals for Children. “The reason I'm so intent on this is because I grew up with juvenile arthritis, although I wasn’t diagnosed until 19,” Gerchak said. “That’s the reason it’s so important to me and I kept it going. Everybody’s pleasant and we try to have a very nice game. [ always say, don’t forget, we're here to have fun and make money for the children. They treat us very well at the country club. They have been very good to us.” On October 17, the group reconvened for a new season and three tables with four people at each enjoyed games of bridge. “I'm hoping to get this back up to four players eventually,” Gerchak told the group. John Brougher, of Dallas, also participated in the group as a substitute player for the first time. Brougher is unable to fish due to a recent oper- See CARD, Page 12 ONE MORE DAY TO BE SPOOKED AT LIBRARY jd iri 1 { WA p : bY » i. A Kiera Gross is aghast at her ap- pearance prior to the opening of the Haunted \ Mansion at the \ Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary. The Haunted Man- sion continues today from5to9 p.m. with all pro- ceeds benefit- ting the library. For more Haunt- ed Mansion pho- tos, please turn to page 5. of ER ET CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST SIMPLY THE BEST A - . CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST The Dallas Post held its first-ever "Best of the Back Mountain" awards reception Tuesday evening at Fire & Ice in Trucksville. Eighty-two winners in 79 categories, determined by a readers’ poll, were honored with plagues and window decals. For a complete listing of those winners, along with photos, please see our spe- cial section inside today's newspaper. All About Me welcomes students By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Dressed in her lime green soccer shirt and jacket, Dejah Cooper nervously awaited her turn at the microphone. “Im kind of shy,” she said. “I've got butterflies in my stomach.” The fourth-grader who moved to the Dallas area from New Jersey over the summer introduced herself to the stu- dents and teachers of Wycallis Elementary School on Wednesday, Oct. 22, during an “All About Me” assembly. The program allowed returning students to become ac- quainted with new children in grades one through five as each new student announced his or her name and the school they used to attend. All students of the school were encouraged to wear clothing that reflecting their interests. Due to a recent expansion of Wyecallis Elementary, many stu- dents who previously attended Dallas Elementary were moved to Wycallis beginning this year, amounting to many more new students than usual. The $3 million expansion and reno- vation, which began in January 2008, included eight new classrooms, a cafeteria addition and an air conditioning upgrade throughout the building. The project was com- pleted in time for the current school year. “Boys and girls, this is one of my favorite days,” said Kathleen McCarthy, principal at Wycallis. “This is the first time we've ever had so many new children in the school. ON THE WEB To see more photos go to www.mydallaspost- .com There are usually only 30 or 40. It’s not likely we’ll ever have so many again.” According to McCarthy, the “All About Me” program be- gan at Wycallis in the fall of 2000, one year after the school opened. It was started in response to a suggestion by par- ents to hold more assemblies and celebrations for the chil- dren. “This is a way of giving them (new students) recogni- See ME, Page 16 CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTO/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Megan Daily dressed as a Pampered Chef for the "All About Me" program at Wycallis Elementary School. 6098151200798 L |
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers