Vol.121 No. 50 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 January 23 - 29, 2011 The PAarTAS P 50¢ Serving the communities of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts | www.mydallaspost.com Boil advisory affects businesses, too By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com A water main break on Carver- ton Road left about 300 Pennsyl- vania-American Water Co. cus- tomers with a water boil advisory on Tuesday and Wednesday. The company issued the advi- sory even after the leak in the 8- inch water main was fixed on Tuesday. Residents affected were advised to boil water for at least a minute until further notice. The boil advisory affected not only residents, but businesses as well, including Sheetz located on Memorial Highway. Rows of empty coffee pots and signs cov- ering the convenience mart’s Made To Order touch screens greeted customers Tuesday and Wednesday, as the boil advisory left the store unable to make food and coffee drinks for its custom- ers. Susan Turcmanovich of Penn- sylvania-American Water Co. said there are so many factors that can contribute to a water main break, such as the outdoor temperature and the material surrounding it, that it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for a leak. She also said the company pro- vided a water tanker at the Trucksville Volunteer Fire Co. for residents, and advised residents to either boil water or use bottled water. Turcmanovich said the adviso- ry lasts until the water company conducts two days of water tests with positive results. As of Thurs- day morning, the company had performed one test with a posi- tive result. The service loss affected about 300 customers on the following streets: Main Road, Carverton Road, Holly Street, Cliffside Ave- nue, Staub Road, Elm Terrace, Post Road, Maple Street, Shady Lane, Grove Street, Harris Hill Road, Lewis Avenue, Robbins Road, Hellers Grove, Lehigh Street, Orchard Street, Rice Street, Doran Drive, Keller Lane, Lohman Street, Center Street, South Memorial Highway, Church Road, Knob Hill, Mathers Drive, Hillside Road, Layou Street, Summit Street, Goeringer Avenue and Youngblood Avenue. Also, Wood Street, Cedar Ave- nue, Beech Street, Hillcrest Ave- nue, Franklin Street, Chestnut Street, Elinore Street, Christine Avenue, Main Street and Birch Grove. BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST These rows of empty coffee pots at the Sheetz station on Memo- rial Highwayon Wednesday night are just one example of how the boil water advisory has negatively impacted businesses. Lalling out for all By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Don Berlew never served in the U.S. military, but he’s work- ing on a project with the Dallas Lions to honor Back Mountain residents who did. The Dallas resident got the idea for the “Hometown He- roes” project during work-relat- ed daily travels. The project is one that has already been in place in areas such as Towanda, Williamsport and Harrisburg. “Hometown Heroes” will fea- ture banners with the faces of the men and women who serve or have served in the U.S. mil- itary along telephone poles in Dallas Borough. The banners will feature soldiers’ photos, names, dates of service and the sponsors who paid for the trib- ute. The goal is to have the ban- ners displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day an- ally. }t’s a tribute to those who served in the past or present,” said Berlew, 60. “It’s a pretty impressive way to honor those who served.” Berlew said this is a different kind of service project for the Dallas Lions, but it’s still com- munity-oriented. “Our mission is serving the *Hometown Heroes’ AMA MDE ERNE ND MUK iN VU For more info about the Dallas Lions’ “Hometown Heroes" pro- ject, write to The Dallas Lions, P.O. Box 54, Dallas, PA 18612. community,” he said. “This is a salute to our neighbors and friends.” Sponsorships will cost $200, and individual residents or businesses may contribute. Berlew said there is no budget for this project, and about $180 of the sponsorship cost goes di- rectly toward paying for the banners and fixtures. The remainder of the money will be donated to the 1st Lieu- tenant Michael J. Cleary Me- morial Fund, which honors the Dallas native who died in an ambush attack in Iraq in De- cember 2005. The fund helps soldiers and their families up- on their return from deploy- ment. “This is not a fundraiser for the Lions,” said Berlew. “The Cleary Fund really helps peo- ple in need.” Berlew also said anyone who wishes to donate can do so, even if it’s not for a full sponsor- ship. Once the project gets un- derway, the cost for those wish- See HEROES, Page 9 CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST hmbers of the Dallas Lions Club involved in a Hometown Heroes project are, from left, seated, Don Berlew, project chairman; Sean McGrath, club president; Wayne Devine. Standing, Joseph Czar- necki, Joe Dwinchick and Robert Shaffer. Eo 0981512007989 BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST South Paws Therapy Dogs, from left, Opus, Scruffy, Colleen and Kozmo pose for a photo at The Meadows Nursing Center in Dallas. These dogs will make anyone smile By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Scruffy greets residents and visitors as they enter The Mead- ows Nursing Home in Dallas with a friendly expression on his face, relishing in the attention he receives while lounging lazily near a couch. Colleen and Opus are always excited to see new people, and it shows. They tend to eagerly re- ach out to strangers and are al- ways happily obliged. And Kozmo is cool, calm and collected as she strides gallantly towards the elevator, her statues- que figure attracting much atten- tion from onlookers in the lobby. These volunteers put in many hours at nursing homes in the ar- ea, accruing lots of mileage on their paws but offering solace with well-behaved demeanors and lots of soft, comforting fur. The four dogs are from South Paws Therapy Dogs, a band of eager-to-please pups and their “escorts” from the Back Moun- tain and Wilkes-Barre areas. The group formed just four months ago after owners Diana Ide, of Harveys Lake, and Carle Welter, of Loyalville, decided to branch out from Welcome Wag- gers, a therapy dog group based in the Scranton area. “We're still affiliated with them, but now we’re on the south side,” said Ide, coordinator of South Paws. About 30 dog owners are part of the group, but there are maybe twice as many dogs. Ide said she’s the only one in the group who owns just one animal - Koz- mo, a 6-year-old Great Dane. Welter owns three — 6-year-old Colleen, a Labrador-Golden Re- triever mix; 7-year-old Opus, a purebred black Labrador; and 15- year-old Scruffy, a terrier-Golden Retriever mix. The two dog owners and long- time friends have been involved with Therapy Dogs Internation- al for about five years, but one more willingly than the other. “It’s her fault (I'm involved),” said Ide, pointing at Welter. Years ago, Welter asked Ide to accompany her to the therapy dog test for Opus, and, being a good friend, Ide didn’t want Wel- ter to go on her own. On test day, Kozmo was the only one certified out of 30 par- ticipating dogs. “I did a happy dance,” laughed Ide. She didn’t realize how much her actions would affect the com- petition. “When she did that, it was im- possible for the other dogs to be- have,” Welter joked. Opus did eventually get his certification, but that was after a year of training for another in- tended purpose. Opus, who be- For more information about South Paws Therapy Dogs, contact Diana Ide at 639-1987. longed to Welter's daughter Blair, was part of a senior project about raising Seeing Eye dogs. He wasn’t accepted into a pro- gram “for whatever reason,” said Welter, and she took him for his therapy certification to put all of his hard work to good use. The therapy dog certification requires dogs to be well-social- ized and follow basic commands. Dogs must be able to tolerate other animals, other dogs and strangers, including senior citi- zens and children. As for the therapy certification test, a series of commands and instructions are placed upon dogs and owners. An example would be the three-minute sepa- ration, where Ide said owners leave the room for three minutes and the dogs are required to re- main quiet and calm until the owner returns. Welter feels there’s more pres- sure on owners than the animals and said owners may be nervous and too self-conscious of their ac- tions, while a dog “is happy to do it,” “I let (Opus) not pass,” she said of the first therapy certifica- tion test. The dogs don’t need to be ret- ested after they receive certifica- tion, and dogs that don’t pass the test are able to try again at any time. “It just can’t be on the same day,” said Welter. The only time pooches are re- evaluated is when an incident in- volving aggression or other questionable behavior is report- ed to Therapy Dogs Internation- al. Welter and her husband Mil- ton, both retired, are working on their sixth Seeing Eye dog trai- nee at home and have been prep- ping pooches for service ever since their daughter’s senior pro- ject. “We've met people who have received guide dogs,” said Wel- ter. “It gives them more of a sense of independence. Some- one told me they can go to the barbershop now without needi- ng someone to come with them.” The therapy dog training has benefits for everyone involved, from the nursing home residents to the dogs themselves. Welter has seen Opus’ effect on residents firsthand, and says the dogs know more about their jobs than the owners can teach them. See DOGS, Page 9 y Sym up now at nepadaily J eals.com Get great deals every day! d
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