Vol. 120 No.1 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 January 4 - 10, 2009 The DALLAS Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Learning process Is studied By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Members of the Hildebrandt Learning Center management team were shocked when they en- countered glass vases on tables in a toddler room at an Italian learn- ing center. But the group quickly realized that staff members at the school \ immersed toddlers in thought- provoking and challenging activ- glass. The management team of the Dallas-based Hildebrandt Learn- ng Center traveled to Reggio milia, Italy from Nov. 10 through Nov. 14. William Grant, CEO, Judy Witmer, COO, Tim O’Shea, de- velopment, Lauren O’Shea, di- rector of health services, and Leanne Grace, director of profes- sional development and program support, took part in a tour called, “Documentation of Lis- tening” at the Loris Malaguzzi In- ternational Study Center. Reggio Emilia is recognized worldwide for its leading child- care programs and officials at Hil- debrandt visited for ideas and in- spirations on how they can make their childhood centers better. The mayor of Reggio, Graziano Delrio, addressed the group. Grace presented the group’s findings from the Reggio trip to Hildebrandt directors and direc- tors of several other local child- care centers on Dec. 18 at Hilde- brandt Learning Center in Dal- las. “They ask the children things like, ‘Could you draw how smell looks?” or ‘What would music look like if you could see it?” Grace said. In Reggio, children are split be- tween infant-toddler centers and preschool centers as opposed to only being in one building. The learning process is more self-di- @ by the children and a Peacher never teaches but instead serves as a guide on the side. Children with special needs were referred to as having “special rights.” Learning centers in Reggio stress the importance of art and have entire art rooms and stu- dios. Grace observed an art room of toddlers who constructed cre- ations out of clay. The daycare centers also engage in relational architecture and put emphasis on light and nooks and crannies. Prisms are strategically placed where sun enters a room. “We were in awe of the use of recycled, cast off and everyday materials...nuts, bolts, flash- lights, projectors, tubing, natural materials such as leaves, sticks, stones, bark and shells, paper of all shapes and sizes, real clay and wire...,” Grace said. “We are in- spired to initiate and reinforce the use of everyday ‘stuff’ and will be looking to create a central depository for recycled materials to be used by others in the early childhood community.” Although other members of the management team who went on the trip did not attend the pre- sentation, they shared what they @ with this reporter. Lauren O’Shea noticed teach- ers allowed children to build bicy- cles and take apart carburetors as learning experiences. See LEARNING, Page 3 ities and trusted them to use the § JONATHAN J. JUKA/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Lake-Lehman football players hold up the Old Shoe trophy after winning the 61st Annual Old Shoe Game on Nov. 1 at Mountaineer Stadium. Lake-Lehman defeated Dallas, 27-22. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Caroline Boris, second from right, and friends jump into Harveys Lake during the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge on March 15. The event is held in memory of Boris’ father, Dr. Frank ‘Buddy’ Boris, a King colon cancer. ston dentist who died from s £ 5 c ho f of ihe ; \4 2: # : / Back Mounta 113 Vid 3 - | VIIA, ¥ Tn, CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST The cake at the ‘Best of the Back Mountain’ awards reception on Oct. 21 at Fire & Ice in Trucksville was a hit. Eighty-two winners in 79 categories were honor- ed with plaques and window decals at the event. JONATHAN J. JUKA/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Lake-Noxen Elementary Principal Debra Demming high-fives her students after making a tandem parachute jump from an airplane on May 28 at Skyhaven Air- port in Tunkhannock. Demming's jump was a reward to students who encouraged their relatives to donate 48 pints of blood in March at the school. Remembering 2008 By REBECCA BRIA ¢ rbria@tumesleader.com ditor’s note: The year 2008 was one of high and lows across the country, however, here in the Back Mountain — or at least onthe pages of The Dallas Post — there were plenty of highlights. Dallas Post Staff Writer Rebecca Bria shares with our readers some of the highest of those highlights. January e The Dallas Post begins its 119th out of business. year of publication in 2008. The paper was started in 1889 by A.A. Holbrook, who resigned his position with the Wilkes-Barre Times to publish The Dal- las Post, the first Back Mountain news- paper. Carol King, a former resident of the Back Mountain and a longtime support- er of the Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary, dies on Jan. 4 in Berkeley, Calif. ¢ After 50 years of service, the Trucks- ville Pharmacy closes on Jan. 15. Owner and pharmacist Kristen Billek said that her family has decided to close the phar- macy and move on before they re forced e For the first time in the history of Lake-Lehman High School, teachers do not take part in the annual faculty versus seniors donkey basketball game. The teachers do not show at the Jan. 18 game because of an ongoing dispute between the teachers’ union and the school board. February ¢ Dallas resident and New York Gi- ants fan Peter Klein roots for his favorite team in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The Giants beat the New England Patriots, 17-14. ¢ Helen Kishbaugh, 86, retires as the chairperson of the American Cancer So- ciety Daffodil Days campaign at the Shavertown United Methodist Church. In the last 10 years, Kishbaugh, of Dal- las, has raised over $8,000 for the Amer- ican Cancer Society. e Twelve-year-old Jason Curtis, of Dallas, sings with the American Boy- choir on Feb. 17 at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre as part of the choir’s winter tour. Curtis has been a member of the choir for two years and tours na- tionally. ¢ John Engler Jr. turns 76 on Feb. 29 but is technically only 19 years old. The Trucksville man was born on Feb. 29, 1932 - a Leap Year Day. March 50¢ on the television show “Deal or No Deal” on March 5 with his 9-month-old dog, Bentley. Higdon wins $27,000 on the NBC show hosted by Howie Man- dell. dents, parents, teachers and members of the community pack the Dallas Ele- mentary School gym on March 6 for the school’s annual science fair. The fair is sponsored by the Dallas Elemen- e Chris Higdon, of Dallas, appears e Over 150 people including stu- See 2008, Page 3 This shelter is filled with unconditional love REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Some of them aren’t wanted. Others were given up because their owners can no longer care for them and a few never even had a home to begin with. ~ But the animals at Blue Chip Farms Animal Rescue on Lock- ville Road in Centermoreland are the lucky ones. Blue Chip is a no-kill shelter that keeps ani- mals indefinitely or until they are adopted into good homes. The shelter was unofficially started about 10 years ago at the home of Margie Bart on Lock- ville Road after she had retired as assistant plant manager for CertainTeed Corporation in Mountain Top. Bart began to take rescues into her home and recruited her neighbor, Tanya Stankus, to help with the cause. “I've always had a great love of animals and I've always cared 6809815120079 g for them,” Bart said. “When I re- TO DONATE: Donations may be sent to Blue Chip Farms Rescue Animal Shel- ter, 974 Lockville Rd., Dallas, PA 18612. tired from my job 10 years ago, I decided to do it full blast.” The name Blue Chip comes from Bart’s horse farm, Blue Chip Farms, which houses horses belonging to her friends. Bart decided to keep that name for the rescue, which became an official, non-profit animal shel- ter about five years ago. The shelter adopted out 65 cats and 42 dogs in 2007. “To me, they’re just such un- conditional love,” Bart said of animals. “No matter what hap- pens, they're right there loving you. In Luzerne County, the cat population is out of control. I get calls every day. I could take See SHELTER, Page 10 CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Margie Bart talks to "Missy," a long-haired cat available for adoption at Blue Chip Rescue in Or- ange.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers