Vol. 118 No. 44 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 November 2 - 8, 2008 LAS POST: Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts www.mydallaspost.com I OD UL, , D D A iii ih KS : ] E “I can’t really tell you just when I started liking them. It’s typically been my lifelong dream for them to win.” Tommy Calpin Lifelong Phillies fan Yea, Phillies! CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Tommy, Calpin, left, and his father, Fran, of Jackson Township, celebrate a World Series championship by the Philadelphia Phillies. The two have been lifelong Phillies fans. Father and son celebrate victory By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com ran and Beth Calpin knew their son, Tommy, who had a cold, wasn’t too sick when he ran down the hallway yelling that Joe Blanton had just hit a home run for the Phillies. Eleven-year-old Tommy and his father, of Jackson Township, are die-hard Philadelphia Phillies fans and are thrilled their team finally won a World Series championship. Prior to their victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Phillies had not won the Series since 1980. Fran waited 28 years and, for young Tommy, it has been a lifetime. “I liked them really my whole life,” Tommy said. “I can’t really tell you just when I started liking them. I pretty much liked them my whole life, thanks to my dad. It’s typically been my lifelong dream for them to win.” Much of Fran’s interest in base- ball was shaped by his father, Tho- mas, an amateur baseball standout in the Scranton area who also played semi-professional baseball in Sidney, N.Y. Thomas Calpin tried out for the Philadelphia A’s team at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadel- phia where the Phillies used to play when the park was still called Shibe Park. Fran, 49, describes himself as a lifelong Phillies fan, despite having a brief interest in the New York Mets at age 10. His first memory of the Phillies is at 6 years old when his father took him to a game at the old Connie Mack Stadium in Phila- delphia. From then on, Thomas and Fran attended at least one Phillies game together every year. “I can’t remember a summer other than when I lived in New York City for a few years where I didn’t go to at least one, but sometimes two or three, Phillies games,” Fran said. In 1980, when the Phillies made it to the World Series, Fran was away in college at St. Bonaventure University in western New York and feels being out of state affected his experience of watching the Phil- lies in the World Series. “Most of the students were from New York State, so you couldn’t get the full emotional experience be- cause you were there by yourself,” Fran said. “So this year is even extra special because I have friends that are big Phillies fans and my 11-year- old son has become an even bigger Phillies fan than I am.” Fran spent several months living in Philadelphia while he attended the Institute of Paralegal Training. Even as a student on a budget, he still attended three games. On Tuesday, Fran said there was a bottle of champagne in his refrigera- tor waiting to be popped when the Phillies win the Series. That's be- cause, for the Calpins, it wasn’t a mat- ter of if the Phillies will win, but when. “I am cautiously optimistic,” Fran said prior to the Phillies’ vic- tory. “I still think they have to go out and earn it and have to hit the ball with men on base. But even if they don’t win the suspended et I A game, I don’t think they’ll lose two in a row.” Tommy also said on Tuesday that he was confident the Phillies will win. He attributes the team’s success to their manager, Charlie Manuel, and great pitching and hit- ting. “Charlie Manuel, he’s been just incredible all year,” Tommy said. “He has made a couple of mistakes, but overall throughout the year he’s been an incredible manager. He handled situations like the one with Jimmy Rollins very well.” Rol- lins was benched by Manuel this year for not hustling and arriving late to a game. Tommy, a sixth-grader at Gate of Heaven School, has been playing baseball for seven years for Back Mountain Little League. Fran helps coach Tommy’s team, the Pi- rates, and tries to teach the chil- dren ethics of the sport. He feels Chase Utley, both his and Tommy's favorite Phillies player, best exem- plifies good baseball ethics. “I just think he is so professional and he’s so consistent,” Fran said of Utley. “He’s just kind of like an old- time ball player, kind of like the play- ers that I watched when I was a kid.” CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK.FOR THE TIMES LEADER THE BEST OF HALLOWEEN The competition was tough during the Dallas Kiwanis Club's Annual Hal- loween Parade. Bridget Goodrich, above, of Dallas, was voted the “fun- niest"while sisters Melinda, left, and Chenay Champluvier, dressed as “Thing 1" and “Thing 2,” took fourth place in the best group category. For more photos of the annual Halloween parade, please turn to page 6. Community rallies around Centermoreland fire victims By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com As they do every cold night, Mickey and Barb Rowlands threw coal into the fireplace and went to bed. When Barb awoke at midnight on Friday, Oct. 17, flames were spreading throughout the home and the couple escaped just min- utes before the house became ful- [fF you ly engulfed. The Rowlands’ home, located on Route 292 be- tween Centermo- reland and Falls, is a total loss. But fellow members of the couple’s church, Northmo- reland Baptist Church in Center- moreland, want to help. Parishioners are holding a benefit spaghetti luncheon from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9. The meal is free, but donations will be accepted. Reservations are preferred. “As a church, we kicked around whether to do a set price or to do it as donations,” said James May, of Falls, a nephew of the couple and a member of the church. “It’s an opportunity from the church’s standpoint; it allows 1to 3 p.m. accepted. What: Spaghetti luncheon to benefit fire victims Mick- ey and Barb Rowlands When: Sunday, Nov. 9, from Where: Northmoreland Baptist Church; 21 Ripple- brook Rd., Centermoreland Cost: Free. Donations Reservations are preferred and may be made by calling the church at 333-5185. people to come and show their support even if they can’t give a lot. We also know that those who can give more probably will.” Robert Komensky, of Center- moreland, who owns Komen- sky’s Market in Duryea, is donat- ing all of the beef to be used as meatballs for the spaghetti lun- cheon. Komensky’s girlfriend, Brenda Stanton, is a niece of the victims and a life- long member of the church. Stanton and several other women of North- moreland Baptist Church gathered at Stanton’s Cen- termoreland home during the evening of Tues- day, Oct. 28, to roll the donated meat into meat- balls for the luncheon. Lois Rought, 92, of Falls, Stanton’s grandmother and the oldest fe- male member of the church, helped prepare the meatballs. “They are two people in this world that if ever I or anyone needed anything, they would give you the shirts off their backs,” Stanton said. “I think it’s time for those who they have helped or the community them- See RALLIES, Page 9 QUEEN FOR A DAY CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE TIMES LEADER Morgan Kunkle was crowned the 2008 Homecoming Queen at Dallas High School during halftime ceremonies of the Dallas/ Berwick football game. With Kunkle is Jared Kern, standing in for Homecoming King Scott Daube, who is a member of the Mountaineers football team. For more Dallas Homecoming pho- tos, please turn to page 8. 174 4 14% a I. hh I, i l,l A ee UO Do you or someone you know have a real life in- spirational story that you would like to share with readers of The Dallas Post? If so, please contact us at 675-521 or by e-mail at news@mydallaspost.com Daylight Savings Time ends today. Did you remember to set your clocks back one hour? 098151200798 s oo
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