Vol. 121 No. 19 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 June 6 - 12, 2010 50¢ Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com T cops dlc Now seat technicians By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com Kingston Township Police offi- cers Jonathan Chipego and Robert Spencer knew their department had a need for child safety seat technicians. The two were used to fielding calls from residents seeking help from the police to install and check their children’s car safety seats. But because no one in the depart- ment was certified, the police were forced to refer residents to the state police. Chipego and Spencer decided to change that. With the approval of . Michael Moravec and town- ip manager Kathleen Sebastian, the two officers volunteered to be- come federally-certified child safe- ty seat technicians. .Chipego said he got the idea in part because his brother James Higgins, a municipal police officer in Vernon Township, N.J., is certi- fied. The officers completed the Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) Certification course which was held at the Pennsylva- nia State Police Hazleton Barracks and consisted of eight hours of training for four days. The course involved classroom instruction, hands-on work with car seats and vehicles and participation in a community safety seat check. Chipego and Spencer are the on- ly police officers, aside from state troopers, who are certified locally, they said. However, there are civil- ians in the area, such as nurses, who are certified. “Now it’s something we can of- fer to our residents,” Moravec said. “There have been a lot of times we've been called to the station ora residence and asked if we can put a seat in.” The National Child Passenger Safety Training Program, which partners with The National Child assenger Safety Board, The Na- pnal Highway Traffic Safety Ad- ministration and Safe Kids World- wide, provided the training at a cost of $75 per officer. As CPST, the officers will put their knowledge to work through a variety of activities, including child safety seat checks where par- ents and caregivers receive educa- tion and hands-on assistance with the proper use of child restraint systems and safety belts. Chipego and Spencer learned how to properly install a car seat, review a car seat based on a child's age and size, where it should be lo- cated based on the child and vehi- cle, ensure the seating position is correct and to check the seat for re- calls and damage. They were also provided with an extensive child safety seat checklist. The officers said during CPST training they were told a story by a state trooper about parents who re- quested to have their child safety seats checked before going on va- Residents of Kingston Township who need assistance with a child safety seat may now schedule an appointment with the officers by calling township police at 696-175. The officers said it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to go through every- thing. Parents should bring their child seat instruction booklet as well as their vehicle manual. cation. The trooper said the family got into a crash and its vehicle rolled over several times, but all of the children were safe. In another story, the officers were told of a woman who was pregnant with triplets. The wom- an went to the state police and wanted to know if she could install three child seats in the back of her Volkswagen Beetle only to learn that she would not be able to do it safely. Spencer said one thing many people don’t realize is that child safety seats have an expiration date. He said the seats became un- safe after about six years because the molded plastic in them deterio- rates. One fact the officers learned is that swimming pool “noodles” (cylinder-shaped pieces of foam) are the only item approved to ele- vate and level rearfacing safety seats for children up to age 3. They also learned the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) on the seat and the seat- belt cannot be used in conjunction with each other. Moravec believes no other local officers are CPSTs because they are not aware the training exists. Manpower issues make it difficult for officers from small depart- ments to undergo training. Residents of Kingston Town- ship who need assistance with a child safety seat may now schedule an appointment with the officers by calling township police at 696- 1175. The officers said it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to go through everything. Parents should bring their child seat in- struction booklet as well as their vehicle manual. Moravec recommends parents schedule an appointment before their child is born. Chipego and Spencer also plan to conduct a community child safe- ty seat check in the Back Mountain sometime in the early summer. Any CPSTs interested in participa- ting in the event are asked to call Chipego and Spencer at 696-1175. “If you think it’s installed cor- rectly, you should still come by,” Chipego said of child safety seats. “It’s all about the safety of the child. We're not going to think anything of the parent.” CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Kingston Twp. police officers Jonathan Chipego, left, and Robert Spencer have completed the Child Passenger Safety Technician THE OFFICIAL START OF SUMMER da BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Jessica Lewis Houlihan, of Dallas, swims at Harvey's Lake Beach Association at Sunset Beach on opening day last Sunday. For more photos, please turn to page 5. Hillside Cottage undergoing restoration By EILEEN GODIN Post Correspondent Wanting to share a hidden jewel of the Back Mountain, volunteers at The Lands at Hill- side Farms have completed res- toration to the first floor of the Conyngham Family Cottage, opening its doors for weddings and other private parties. The public is invited to see the progress of the Hillside Cot- tage during an open house weekend. A cocktail party, hosted by the Back Mountain Business Association, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 11 at the cottage. Cost is $20 for members and $25 for non- members. Cocktails and a light dinner will be served. To make your reservations, call the BMBA at 675-9380. A Wedding and Special Event Preview will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. Tickets are $5 and are available at the Lands at Hillside Farms Dairy Store in Trucksville. The event will showcase business partners such as flo- rists, caterers and wine to make any occasion memorable, said Chip Morgan, volunteer chair- man of the cottage committee. He said tours of the finished rooms of the cottage will also be offered. Nestled up on a hillside, ob- scure from the view of passers- by, the cottage is unique in so many ways. Morgan said the 1881 cottage can boast of hav- ing the first elevator in the Back Mountain, the first private in- ground pool and has enter- tained royalty. After studying the journals of Jessie Gurthie Conyngham, Morgan noticed an entry that showed that Princess Lucinge of France was a guest at the cot- tage on July 17, 1935. “I'm not sure of the connec- tion of her to the Conyngham family,” Morgan said. “They could have met her during a vis- i ERE IF YOU 60 .. A cocktail party, hosted by the Back Mountain Business Asso- ciation, will be held from 5to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 1l at the cottage. Cost is $20 for mem- bers and $25 for non-members. Cocktails and a light dinner will be served. To make your reser- vations, call the BMBA at 675- 9380. it to the Mount Washington Ho- tel in New Hampshire or from the French Monastery in Sayre, Pennsylvania.” Restoration of the first floor of the cottage began in 2007 and, according to Morgan, about $700,000 and thousands of volunteer hours have been spent to bring the luster back to the gem. “This home was renovated two other times,” he said. “Once in 1890, when the third floor was added and again in 1905 when two sleeping porch- es, dinning porches and an ele- vator were added.” The ultimate goal of the pro- ject is to turn the cottage into a bed and breakfast — a distant dream, however, as the second floor servants’ quarters still need restoration and the third floor needs to be cataloged, or- ganized and restored. Chris Tweedy, director of de- velopment for The Lands at Hillside Farms, said before opening the cottage to over- night guests, an occupancy per- mit will need to be obtained from Kingston Township. “I can see it becoming like a European hotel,” Morgan said of the property. “People could step back in time.” Morgan said several ideas for future events to be held at the cottage include a Civil War re- enactment and a Civil War tea. He said this year’s Christmas events at the cottage will be quite spectacular. “You will have to wait and see,” he said with a smile of CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Chip Morgan examines a teacup that is part of the Conygham family heirloom dining service. Originally enough to serve 250 people, the service is now down to 75. He said there is a job for any- one who wants to volunteer their time and talents whether it is painting, electrical work, what’s to come.. Tweedy and Morgan agree the progress was made possible because of volunteers who have given their time. Tom Welki of Shavertown, volunteers to help mow the grass on the sprawling property and said there are volunteer op- portunities for everyone of ev- ery skill level on the farm. “I like to volunteer,” Welki said. “I firmly believe in the farm.” See HILLSIDE, Page 13 098151200798, on
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