Vol.121 No. 30 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 August 29 - September 4, 2010 he Paras Post. . Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com GETTING AN EARLY START AT SCHOOL CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Dallas elementary students Abygale Mikolaichik, left, and Keely Patton peer through bus windows waiting to go home after the first day of classes in the Dallas School District on Aug. 23. The district started unusually early this year to allow more time in June for construction of the new high school. Piglets thriving - thanks to an army of caring volunteers Twelve piglets orphaned after mother dies; community rallies to help. By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Abbie Fallon considers herself a mother. Twelve of her “children” re- quire hourly bottle feedings and they squeal when they don’t get what they want. Some of them sleep in the bath- room while others sleep in crates at Fallon’s home. They sure are cute, too, with pink noses, floppy ears and not- quite-coiled tails. Fifteen-year-old Fallon isn’t raising human babies — she works at The Lands at Hillside Farms where a litter of 12 piglets recent- ly became orphaned. They were born on Friday, Aug. 20 and the next day their CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Eu fry # Emily Deome feeds one of 12 orphaned piglets at The Lands at Hillside Farms. mother grew ill and passed away. The staff at Hillside assumes she See PIGLETS, Page 14 What's new in school this year? By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com It’s anew year for the Dallas and Lake-Lehman school districts and, with that, come a few tweaks and changes in staff and surround- ings. The Dallas School District opened on Monday, Aug. 23 to al- low for the completion of the new high school next summer. “We believe it was one of the smoothest openings we've had in years,” said High School Principal Jeffrey Shaffer. tudents within the Dallas | District can expect to see suine new faces in the halls within each of the schools. Several new teachers were hired within the dis- trict. In the high school, Vicki Stuffle will serve asa long-term math sub- stitute, instructing students in Trigonometry and Algebra I. Nancy Roberts, the district's athletic director, will act as a part- time health and physical educa- tion teacher in the middle school due to the retirement of Anne Seitz. Cory Patton, Diana Snyder, Ashley Barchik, Lesley Baltimore (Gate of Heaven) Principal Abraham Simon says the school up- graded all of its computers during the summer. and Amber Costello will serve as long-term substitutes in the Wy- callis and Dallas elementary schools. Bridget Gavin will be a vision teacher for the 2010-11 school year and Ashley Sobiech will serve as a special education teacher. Shaffer wants students to know about a new course offering at the high school. The course is a year- long Algebra I class which will give ninth-graders extra time to learn the intricacies of math. Dallas students can also expect to get to school on time as buses in the district will be tracked using global positioning devices. The Lake-Lehman School Dis- trict will begin the 2010-11 year on Monday, Aug. 30. Elementary students will enjoy an addition to Ross Elementary which was completed during the summer. A new library, along with extra classrooms, a computer lab and a new playground were part of the $1.7 million project. The junior/senior high school will be under the helm of a new principal — Douglas Klopp, who served as principal of Northwest Area. New teachers hired within the district include: Jill Vanderhook, art teacher at Lake-Noxen and Ross elementary schools; Justine Hallenbeck, spe- cial education teacher at Lehman- Jackson Elementary School; Kath- ryn Mullins, elementary teacher at Lake-Noxen Elementary School; Emily Fischbein, elemen- tary intervention in all elementary schools; Matthew Nonnenberg, long-term substitute in industrial technology at the junior/senior high school; Krystal Miner, physi- cal education teacher at the ju- nior/senior high school; Alexan- der Higgins, instrumental music teacher and band director at the ju- nior/senior high school; Vanessa Wengen, special education teach- er at Lehman-Jackson Elemenary School; Alysia Jones, elementary teacher at Ross Elementary; Laura DePrimo, elementary intevention teacher; Stacy Little, long-term substitute; and Thomas Bryan, long-term substitute in industrial technology at the junior/senior high school. The Black Knights also have a new football coach in Jerry Gilsky and a new girls volleyball coach in Tiffany Hettes. For Gate of Heaven, classes will commence on Monday, Aug. 30. Students will notice a new school logo in the gym as a former Gate of Heaven student rede signed the school’s logo and paint- ed it in the gymnasium. Holy Redeemer High School students also completed a service project during the summer and painted images of Gator basket- ball players on the gymnasium walls. Principal Abraham Simon also says the school upgraded all of its computers during the summer. Mary Ann Ostrowski will help little ones learn as a preschool teacher for the 2010-11 year. Advanced placement students will once again compete in a NA- SA science program. The school competed nationally last year and was ranked as one of the top 15 schools in the nation who com- pleted the program. BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition member Mary Rodriguez, of Dallas Township, right, talks with Jack Ossont of upstate New York about the status of natural gas drilling in northeastern Pennsylvania. Learning about drilling By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com For Frank Finan, becoming a community activist against gas drilling isn’t a choice. It’s his life. “It’s changed my life complete- ly,” the Hop Bottom resident said about his involvement in gas drilling. “My regular life is over.” One of the organizers of Gas Stock, a free music festival held Aug. 21 to raise awareness about gas drilling, Finan hopes the rally will change people’s minds about See DRILLING, Page 14 Hundreds run, walk and support Lt. Michael J. Cleary Foundation By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Hundreds of runners, walkers and supporters participated in the Third Annual Run for the Fall- en 5K on Aug. 18 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre to raise money for the Lt. Michael J. Cleary Founda- tion. The race was organized by eight Dallas High School stu- ts as part of their senior com- ion project. Proceeds from the race were not tallied by press time but the group is hoping to achieve or exceed the amount raised by last year’s event which totaled nearly $4,000. “It’s a good turnout today,” said Jonathan Weaver, 16, one of the organizers for the event. “It’s for a great cause.” Lt. Michael J. Cleary, a Dallas native, was killed in action on Dec. 20, 2005 in Iraq. The founda- tion in his same, founded 2006, benefits soldiers who are wounded or need assistance after returning from active duty over- seas. “Mike played soccer on these fields,” said Cleary’s father, Jack. Michael Cleary graduated from Dallas High School and Jack is proud that Michael's alma mater is honoring his memory. “These kids will realize that, when you work to help others, you receive more than you give,” he said. “It means a lot to (my family) personally.” Jack Cleary told the story of a local soldier who served three tours of duty overseas with the National Guard. Wounded and unable to work, the man found himself struggling to pay his bills and take care of his children. The Lt. Michael J. Cleary Foundation was able to help and now the man is attending Luzerne County Community College. “He wasn’t asking for a hand- eed a ea CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Groups from the Back Mountain and surrounding communities support the Run for the Fallen effort. ry said. The organizers of the event, all runners for Dallas High School, were happy to work for the foun- getting dation. Sponsors, “Between doing radio inter- views, setting up registrations, contacting media and making tags for the runners, it was all for a good cause,” said Chelsea Martin, 16, a junior at Dallas High School 1st Place Joe Hickey, Drums, 17:23 Mary Frank, Wilkes-Barre, 20:44 2nd Place Vinay Murthy 17:38 Nadalie Soloman 20:57 3rd Place A.J Limongelli 17:53 Marissa Durako 20:58 4th Place Kenny Roman 17:54 Cassandra Gill 21:26 5th Place Jeremy Stonier 17:55 Ally Rome 21:27 Youth Jeremy Stonier 17:55 Cassandra Gill 21:26 Masters Dan Thomas Jr. 19:00 Cynthia Rachilla 27:10 GS a 7 hill
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers