PAGE 6 THE POST THE DALLAS POST Sunday, May 24, 2009 RELAY Continued from Page 1 base of teams for the Back Mountain Relay. Participa- tion in the event dropped af- ter Commonwealth was pur- chased in March 2007 by Ci- tizens Communications Co., now Frontier Communica- tions, for $1.29 billion. “The American Cancer So- ciety felt it was time for them (the Back Mountain Relay) to come back to their roots and it seems a lot of people are happy with that idea,” Marino said. The Wyoming Valley Relay for Life will be held from 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, to 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 14, at King’s College Betzler Fields in Wilkes-Barre Town- ship. In celebration of the 25th Relay for Life, this year’s theme is “Trinkets, Trash and Treasures.” A yard sale will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13 at the event. Despite the end of the Back Mountain Relay, sever- al Back Mountain teams are making the move to the Wyoming Valley Relay. “The students from Lake- Lehman who did the Har- veys Lake Plunge are filter- ing their proceeds into the Wyoming Valley Relay on be- half of the Boris family,” Ma- rino said. Started in 2005, the an- nual Polar Bear Plunge at Harveys Lake is held in memory of Dr. Frank “Bud- dy” Boris, an area dentist who died from colon cancer in 2003. The plunge is coor- dinated each year as the se- nior project of several Lake- Lehman Junior/Senior High School students. Michelle Cassetori, of Harding, was one of the first participants of the Back Mountain Relay for Life and the chair of the event in 2005 and 2006. She knew a few people working for Com- monwealth Telephone who had a team who were willing to come to the Back Moun- tain, as well as Arlene Be- secker, a teacher at Dallas Elementary School and a cancer survivor. “The biggest challenge we had was when Frontier bought Commonwealth; they just dropped out of it,” Cassetori said. “We used to get 11 teams from them.” Cassetori first got in- volved in Relay for Life in 1999 when her sister-in-law, Linda Lopez, of Pittsburgh, was sick with breast cancer. JONATHAN J. JUKA/ DALLAS POST FILE PHOTO Shane and Gus Panagakos, of Dallas, take a break for ice- cream during the 2008 Back Mountain Relay for Life. Wyoming Valley Relay for Life Saturday, June 13, at 10 a.m. to Sunday, June 14, at 10 a.m. King's College Betzler Fields, Wilkes-Barre Township Cost per team is $100. Teams must consist of eight to 15 peo- ple. All proceeds benefit the Amer- ican Cancer Society. Teams can register and dona- tions can be made online at www.relayforlife.org/pawyoming- valley or by calling the Wyoming Valley Unit of the ACS at 562- 9749 ext. 3339. ni r Nill i VULi Schedule of events Saturday: 10 a.m. - Opening ceremonies fla.m. to 4 p.m. - Yard sale 5 p.m. - Survivors celebration Dusk - Luminaria (luminaries can be purchased for a donation in honor or memory of someone) Sunday: 10 a.m. - Closing ceremonies Lopez died from the disease, as did another sister-in-law, Jackie Cassetori. The Casse- tori Cancer Crusaders will continue their fight against cancer once again at the Wilkes-Barre Relay for Life. “I do it because I feel it is her (Lopez’s) legacy, my way of continuing to honor her,” Cassetori said. “Plus it’s lots of fun.” Gus Panagakos; of Dallas, lost his 42-year-old wife, Ju- dy, to breast cancer in 2007. He and his children, Shane and Kallysta, and the Back Mountain Middle School Ca- tholic Youth Council, com- prised of children in grades six through eight in Back Mountain Catholic parishes, formed the Panagakos Pac- ers in 2007 to walk in Judy’s memory. Judy Panagakos was an ad- viser for the youth council, of which her son, Shane, is a member. She was also very active at Wycallis Elemen- tary School and played bells and worked the bazaar at Gate of Heaven Church. “Last year we had around 10 people on our team stay the whole or close to the whole 24 hours of the relay,” Gus said. “It was a real good time and everyone enjoyed themselves. We look forward to doing it again this year and hope it is as good or bet- ter at the new facilities.” Other upcoming Relay for Life events in Luzerne Coun- ty are the Greater Hazleton Relay for Life, 5 p.m. Friday, May 29, to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 30; and the Mountain Top Relay for Life, 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30, to 10 a.m. Sunday, May 31. DALLAS Continued from Page 5 school year. Visitor comments Tom Dombrowski, of King- ston Township, a grandfather of a district student, said the chil- dren in the elementary schools and middle school are receiving too much homework on week- ends. Dombrowski suggested the teachers receive the same workload on weekends and ho- lidays, which he offered to mon- itor. Dombrowksi also notified the board that the dugouts at the baseball field behind the old hip High School EE aii LENE were never installed after the field was redone. Hires The board reappointed Attor- ney Benjamin Jones III as the solicitor for the school district for the 2009-10 fiscal year at a yearly rate of $36,000. Mary Jo Hromchak was hired as the head girls basketball coach for the 2009-10 season at a compensation of $6,235. Mike Chesterfield was ap- proved as the coordinator of athletic training and weight lift- ing facilities at a salary of $39,500 with single health ben- efits. Rebecca Bria, a staff writer for The Dallas Post, may be reached at 970-7436. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Receiving a lifetime award for their work with the Sweet Valley Fire and Ambulance Co. were Alice and Bob Walsh. RESPONDERS Continued from Page 1 Township George Snyder, Fairmount Township Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company, Sweet Valley Robert G. Smith Sr. respon- ded to more than 25 percent of all ambulance calls made by his department in 2008. In addition, Smith served as an instructor in CPR, first aid, automated exter- nal defibrillator and electrical safety to his department, other ambulance companies, fire de- partments, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the private industry. George Snyder responded to more than 33 percent of all am- bulance calls to his department in 2008 as a vehicle driver and EMT. Snyder also served as trea- surer for the department and maintained the facilities. It is es- timated that Snyder spends 700 hours per year at the depart- ment. Lifetime Achievement Award Robert Besecker, Dallas Fire and Ambulance Robert Besecker has served as a member of the Dallas Fire and Ambulance Company for more than 52 years. Besecker served as the depart- ment’s fire chief from 1984 to 1988 and from 1991 to 1993. He was also the assistant chief from 1980 to 1983. Besecker was elected as a department trustee in 1994 and continues to serve in that capacity. Besecker has re- sponded to thousands of emer- gency calls over the years. In 1970, he responded to an active premature labor. The child was lifeless with the umbil- ical cord wrapped around his neck. Besecker instinctively placed two fingers on the three- pound baby’s chest and began compressions. During the celebration of Be- secker’s 50th year of active membership with the depart- Rotary Club members first came up with the idea for the awards two years ago as a way to recognize associates of the 14 fire departments, 13 emergency medical services departments and six police depart- ments of the Back Mountain. ment, Leonard Roginski, trea- surer, personally thanked Be- secker for saving his life. Chief Robert B. Walsh and Lt. Alice D. Walsh, Sweet Valley Fire and Ambulance Associ- ation, Inc. Chief Robert B. Walsh started his career with the Sweet Valley Volunteer Fire Department in 1949 when he reached the age of 16. He became assistant fire chief in 1962 and fire chief in 1972. In 1968, he was one of the founders of the Sweet Valley Ambulance Association. Walsh has run approximately 250 am- bulance runs a year for the past 20 years. On many of these runs he was assisted by his wife, Al- ice. He rarely missed a call whether it was a minor ambu- lance call, motor vehicle acci- dent or structure fire. Lt. Alice D. Walsh has served as a member of the Sweet Valley Fire and Ambulance Associ- ation, Inc. for more than 30 years. She served 221 patients during 2008. She serves as treasurer of the association and has held this po- sition for 30 years. Prior to the implementation of the 911 sys- tem, Walsh served as the dis- patcher for the Sweet Valley Am- bulance and Sweet Valley Fire Department for almost 30 years. She was also a member of the Sweet Valley Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary for about 40 years and served as its president until the auxiliary disbanded. Carl Puskar, of the Jackson Township Police Department, is awarded the First responder of the Year Award by the Dallas Ro- tary Club. Shown with Puskar is his wife, Katey. Walsh continues to be an active member of the Sweet Valley Am- bulance Association and goes with her husband, Robert, on 90 percent of the department’s calls. Richard R. Bartholomew, Franklin-Northmoreland Town- ship Ambulance Association Richard R. Bartholomew has served both as a member and fire chief of the Franklin Town- ship Fire Department and as am- bulance chief for the Franklin- Northmoreland Township Am- bulance Association for more than 40 years. Bartholomew retired from the fire department after more than 40 years of service. He is still ve- ry active in the ambulance asso- ciation and serves as chief. The financial secretary for the ambulance association, Bartho- lomew is also a member of the National Association for Search and Rescue and the Internation- al Fire Training Association and is certified in water rescue and in first aid in dive accidents. ELECTION Continued from Page 1 Tax collector - Leonard Kozick (R) Auditor - K. Gary Kirk (R) Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 02 — Sarah A. Wagner (R) FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP Supervisor — William Miller (R) Tax collector —- Brett B. Slo- cum (R) HARVEYS LAKE BOROUGH Mayor - Richard H. Boice (D); Clarence Hogan (R) Council - Larry C. Lucarino, Ed Kelly, Jason R. Boice (D); Larry A. Radel, Francis J. Kop- ko, Boyd Barber (R) Tax collector — Terry Jones (D) Judge of elections — Laurie Kehler (D) JACKSON TOWNSHIP Supervisor -~ Thomas Tim Evans (R) Tax collector - Jacqueline Latosek (D) Auditor - Todd E. Paczewski (R) Judge of elections - Carol Belmont (R) Inspector of elections — Bar- bara Young (R) Constable — John Jay Wilkes Jr. (R) KINGSTON TOWNSHIP Supervisor - Frank G. Nat- itus, Shirley A. Moyer Judge of elections, District 01 - Pa- tricia J. Luke (D) Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 01 — Leonard W. Krispin (D); Alice B. Solinsky Judge of elections, District 02 —- Ni- - Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 02 — Dianne M. Adamitz (D); Ronald A. Viglone (R) LAKE-LEHMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT School director, Region 01 - Kevin J. Carey (D) (R) School director, Region 02 - Michael A. Sikora (D); Chris- topher Bo Kreller (R) School director, Region 03 - Drew Salko, David Paulauskas (D) (R) LAKE TOWNSHIP Supervisor - Robert Grey (D) Tax collector - Donna Kocher (D); Mary Lou Kocher (R) Inspector of elections - Al- ice Jean Martin (R) LEHMAN TOWNSHIP Supervisor — Raymond Iwa- nowski (R) Tax collector — Peggy D. Moyer (R) Judge of elections, District 01 - Patricia Paraschak (D) Judge of elections, District 02 - Barbara G. Simms (R) Judge of elections, District 03 - Harold J. Haefele (R) Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 01 — Michael Paraschak (R) Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 02 - Florence Niezgoda (D); Althea Clark (R) Inspector of elections, Dis- trict 03 - Anne M. Flasser (D); Jayne S. Haefele (R) ROSS TOWNSHIP Supervisor — William Ferrey | Jr. (R) Tax collector — Kimberly A. Holcomb (R) Auditor - Frances Gensel (R) Inspector of elections - Jane A. Smith (D) 4 nS eRe ARRESTS
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