Vol.121 No. 48 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 January 9 - 15, 2011 POST. Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Face of America’ chronicles people and nature of country By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com A funeral sparked the pro- jects that have shaped the lives of Tony and Kitch Mussa- ri for the past nine years. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Dallas cou- ple attended the funeral of a friend’s son who had died in one of the World Trade Tow- ers. Kitch said Tony was so moved by the ceremony, it spurred action in remem- brance of others who died on that day. The pair produced dozens of documentaries based on the Shanksville, Pa. site where Flight 93 crashed on Sept. 11, and will screen their final doc- umentary this year, the 10th anniversary of 9/11. “Every year, our visit be- comes the basis of the next documentary,” said Kitch. This year, the duo expanded their search for ordinary peo- ple who commit extraordinary things with their “Face of America” project, which will include a documentary and book recounting their travels. They've driven throughout the 48 continental United States, racking up more than 30,000 miles,. recording more than 110 hours of footage, snapping more than 57,000 digital images and interview- ing more than 400 people — all in the span of about 100 days. “This is about finding peo- ple who are representative of America on its best days,” said wk he be FY To read more about Tony and Kitch Mussari’'s Face of America project, visit their website at http://faceofamericawps.com. Tony. : The Mussaris said the cross- country trip was a natural pro- gression from their Shanks- ville documentaries, which started in 2002 on a whim af- ter seeing an article in an Ohio newspaper that chronicled a woman who was creating a picture book about the Flight 93 memorial site. “We knew we'd like to do something,” Kitch said about honoring those who died dur- ing 9/11. The couple met with Leigh Snyder, the woman from the news article, at Shanksville and ended their trip with enough footage for a new doc- umentary series called “What is America?” which is screened at Shanksville every fall to commemorate Sept. 11. The “Face of America” pro- ject has a more national scope, but the meaning of the project still resonates with family, friends and even strangers. Tony recalled a frightening auto accident in Minnesota in the midst of the Mussaris’ See AMERICA, Page 11 Kitch and Tony Mussari, of Dallas, have traveled the conti- nental United States and pro- duced a video entitled "The Face of America" about the people and nature of America. he of America Project heeofamerioawps.com CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST party. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Ricky Wentzel, of Harveys Lake, plays a ring toss game at the Idetown Firehall's New Year's Eve Redneck New Year celebration he Idetown Fire Hall in Dallas hosted a Redneck New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31 where attendees dressed in their best redneck ge- tup to ring in the New Year. Fun fare included bobbing for pick- led pigs’ feet and playing home- made instruments and redneck Chugging down beers at the Idetown Vol Fire Company New Year's Eve party. horseshoes. Learning first hand By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Niccole Rivero didn’t know what to expect after landing in Kampala, Uganda in early September. Part of the study abroad program shed signed up for included information about the African countries she was set to visit, but nothing could pre- pare her for the day-to-day life she was about to live for four months. Muzungu! Muzungu! Hey mu- zungu! The common phrase followed the 20-year-old Shavertown native throughout her stay in East Africa, where she encountered pleasant people who often referred to her as “white person.” “Because you're white, you draw attention to yourself,” said the La- fayette College junior. “We're used to a multicultural society.” Rivero studied in Kigali, Rwanda and Gulu, Uganda, learning about the Ugandan civil war and the Rwandan genocides. The group she traveled with was comprised of 28 students from all over the Unit- ed States, and the topic at hand was post-conflict transition. The group split its time between the two cities for four months, studying in schools, living with families and visiting museums and memorials. Rivero also blogged about her experiences while she was away to stay in touch with friends and family. “I could get out what I was expe- riencing without sending mass e- mails,” she said. “It was also ther- apeutic - especially when we visited the genocide memorials.” Rivero can’t even remember the first time she'd heard about the war CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Nicole Rivero, of Shavertown, shows off some jewelry and arti- facts from her trip to Africa. in northern Uganda, but her pas- sion for the subject runs deep. “Most people aren’t aware of the situation,” she said. “There are kids my age there who only know war.” She got involved in Amnesty In- ternational as a freshman at Dallas High School and became interest- See LEARNING, Page 11 Proving Pit Bulls are friendly, family-oriented By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com An argument with a friend changed Jen O’Donnell’s life. In 2001, 31-year-old O'Donnell got into a heated exchange with a friend about whether Pit Bulls e friendly, family-oriented pets. prove her case, she and her now-husband, Brian, adopted one of the bully breed dogs, named Dozer, the very next day from the SPCA of Luzerne Coun- ty. 09815120079 For more information about Sweet Bark Pit Bull Rescue, including how to become a foster or donate items, visit the group's website at www.sweetbarkpitbullrescue.com, or e-mail O'Donnell at sweetbark- pitbullrescue@gmail.com. Dozer succumbed to cancer in January 2009, and now O’Don- nell and her family are in the throes of making sure Pit Bulls and other dogs find loving homes, too. “Dozer is the reason we love these dogs,” said O'Donnell. F a 4 ' EF J i = % She started Sweet Bark Pit Bull Rescue; a nonprofit foster-based dog rescue, in May 2010. The or- ganization focuses on finding homes for bully breed dogs, a cat- egory comprised of several differ- ent breeds, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staf- fordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs and others. O'Donnell said Sweet Bark aims to rescue dogs that have typ- ical characteristics of these breeds. “You know, the big head and the muscular build,” she said. The Dallas native said there are a lot of misconceptions about Pit Bulls, as the breed is often plagued with stereotypes about its aggression and bad temper- ament. “Theyre being victimized,” See FRIENDLY, Page 1 CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Jen O'Donnell, founder of Sweet Bark Pit Bull Rescue, and Ma- tilda, a Pit Bull who needs a home. Sign up now at nepadaily
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers