1 Vol.120 No.6 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 February 8 - 14, 2009 The Dati AS Post. Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Nicole Clemson, Luzerne County Fair Queen, was named 2009 Pennsylvania Fair Queen at the 97th Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs and Pennsylvania N State Showmen's HH Association annual joint convention. a, A TA ne, ve he Tem an : Ce Co Pennsylvania Fair Queen. By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Dallas girl is the first Luzerne Coun- ty Fair Queen ever to be named the Pennsylvania State Fair Queen. Seventeen-year-old Nicole Clem- on was crowned the 2009 Pennsyl- vania State Fair Queen on Jan. 24 in front of 1,100 spectators following a three-day competition. The event was held in conjunction with the 97th Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs and Pennsylvania State Showmen’s Association annual joint convention in Harrisburg. The Dallas High School senior captured the title of 2008 Luzerne County Fair Queen last September and was entered into the state fair queen competition. “I was actually blown away; I couldn’t even be- lieve it,” Clemson said of her state win. “We all had contestant numbers pinned on our right hip and I had to look down and make sure it was my number that was called. All the other 52 girls on stage were just as deserving as I was.” The contestants prepared a three to five min- ute speech highlighting the activities at her county or community fair and a written essay about the fair’s personal significance in her life. Fin w ee . i Sg | . oF i " " pe a » ev i is NE a a x 1 ' er A o AE ee ¥ - iar % SAGAS 5 al , — yo A To see more photos, go to www.mydallaspost.com In her essay, Clemson discussed a new program called Ag for Kids that was created at the Lu- zerne County Fair last year. The program pro- vides education and fun for children and allows them to perform some of the chores of a farmer. Each queen also participated in an interview with three judges. Clemson was asked many questions from the most important thing she does outside of school — community service — to the ideal characteristic in the man she hopes to marry one day - someone who puts others before themselves and cares about the community. The queens were evaluated on their public speaking skills and knowledge of the agricultu- ral industry, as well as on their poise and person- al presentation in an evening gown competition. Five finalists, including Clemson, were chosen and asked an impromptu question regarding what they learned at the convention and how they will use it. Each contestant had six seconds to answer. Clemson explained the colors in a pin- wheel are significant of her experiences and that she can’t wait to help people create their own pinwheels and memories. AN PHOTOS COURTESY OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Nicole Clemson is named 2009 Pennsylvania Fair queen She’s the best in the state Pennsylvania Executive Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, left, and Senator Mike Waugh congratulate Nicole Clemson, the 2009 Members of the Luzerne County Fair Board, about 20 people, all attended the convention in support of Clemson. The board may have even been good luck. “My contestant number was 32 and my fair board, their (main hospitality room) room num- ber ended in 32 so we thought it was ironic that both numbers ended up being the same,” Clem- son said. Now that Clemson is the state fair queen, she will be responsible for attending as many of the 117 county and agricultural fairs in the state as possible. She will also be present at the Pennsyl- vania Farm Show and the Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Agriculture’s Farm City Day, a program that provides agricultural resources to schools to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture. Clemson's first event as state fair queen was on Tuesday when she met with state and local digni- taries at Cornucopia, a day to promote agricul ture, in Harrisburg. “Im so excited,” Clemson said prior to the event. “I think it’s going to be an amazing oppor- tunity and I hope I can represent Pennsylvania as best as I can and promote agriculture and tou- rism as Pennsylvania’s No. 1 industry.” See BEST, Page 10 Getting to know God better By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com laspost.com Taylor Hodle hopes she’ll get to To see more photos, go to www.mydal- know God better over the next four months. The young woman is one of nine young people — six boys and three girls — preparing for confirmation at the Shavertown United Methodist Church. The teenagers will be con- firmed into the United Methodist re- ligion during services at the church on May 31, Pentecost Sunday, the day the Holy Sprit descended to Earth. faith. Shavertown United Methodist Christians.” Church, says although confirmation does not have to take place on Pente- cause in confirmation, the outpour- ing of the Holy Spirit is invoked to provide the confirmand with the pow- er to live in the United Methodist “It was Tertullian who said, ‘Chris- tians are made, not born, said. “Following Jesus is not some- thing that comes naturally, and not without time and training. Confirma- The Rev. Lynn Snyder, pastor of tion is a historic means of making The youth who will receive confir- ”»” Snyder $ | the first confirmation class at Shavertown United Methodist Church. From cost Sunday, she chose that day be- i See GOD, Page 8 left, are Rick, Taylor and Karen Hodle. MERE CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Members of the Hodle family, of Dallas, share French fries prior to attending CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Recently inducted into the PA Voter Hall of Fame for having voted con- secutively in every November elec- tion for the past 50 years, Virginia ‘Jeannie’ Clark reflects on her re- cord. 50-year voting records cited By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com One hundred twenty-five Wyoming County residents were recently induct- ed into the Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame. The inductees were honored for their achievements in December at the Wyoming County Courthouse. “The commissioners had a little re- ception with light snacks and they pre- sented each one of them with their cer- tificate,” said Florence Ball, director of elections and voter registration in Wyoming County. Ball says she went through the vot- ing records herself in 2008 and deter- mined there were 125 new people, 10 of ON THE WEB whom were de- Fn THE WED ceased, eligible for the Voter Hall of Fame. Prior to 2008, no one in the county had For an application for the PA Voter Hall of Fame or to view the list of inductees, visit been inducted RIS [wera since 1096. erservic es.state.pa.us/ The Pennsylva- Pages/VoterHallof- nia Voter Hall of famehomepa- Fame was created ge.aspx to acknowledge and honor state residents who have voted consecutively in every No- vember election for 50 or more years. The Hall of Fame is administered by the Department of State’s Election Bu- reau. According to the Pennsylvania De- partment of State’s Web site, there is only one person from Luzerne County, Tom Clemens, who is a member of the Voter Hall of Fame. There are 197 Wyoming County residents who be- long to the Voter Hall of Fame. Virginia “Jeannie” Clark, of Beau- mont, was one of 125 Wyoming County . residents inducted into the Pennsylva- nia Voter Hall of Fame on Oct. 31, 2008. Clark, who never tells anyone her age, says she did not know she had been voting for 50 years. “I never paid no attention to it,” she said. “I just thought it was my duty to go vote. If I didn’t vote, I had no say in anything. And I married into a family that all voted. You had to vote.” A registered Republican, Clark start- ed voting at age 21 and has continued ever since, casting her vote at the old Beaumont School. She also served as an elections committeeperson in Mon- roe Township for 20 years. “That’s. one of the privileges we have,” Clark said of voting. “I think ev- erybody should get out and vote and then they don’t have nothing to yell about. It’s just like driving on the road. You don’t own that road; it’s a privilege to drive on it.” At age 11, Clark began working on the Hildebrandt Farm. She dropped out of high school at 16 and went to work in local factories. Later, she rent- ed and ran Jean’s Diner at the Route 6 Tunkhannock Truck Stop for eight years. Clark’s deceased husband, Nile, was an active voter and her children, Nile Lee Clark, with whom she resides, and Vivian Clark, of Beaumont, also vote regularly. «B09 8 1512007 9%lg i all
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