CME OS Cy EC a A Sunday, January 30, 2011 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 DALLAS BOROUGH Size of council may be reduced from seven to five By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Dallas Borough Council has submitted a petition to the Lu- zerne County Court of Common Pleas to reduce its size from sev- en to five members. According to borough Solic- itor Jeffrey Malak, council has been thinking about the member decrease for at least a year. A hearing date has been set for a decision on the matter on Feb. 14. State law says there are two re- quirements needed to be met for the borough to pursue the reduc- tion. Population must be under 3,000. As of the 2000 census, Dal- las Boroughs population was WHAT'S NEXT A hearing on the reduction of Dallas Borough Council from seven to five members is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 14 in the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas. : 2,557. A petition also needed to be signed by five percent the bor- ough’s 1,862 registered electors, or about 93 people. Malak said 105 residents signed the petition. He said reducing a council's size is not an uncommon prac- tice for a municipality. Within the past 10 years, several coun- cils within Luzerne County have reduced the size of their govern- ing bodies, including Shickshin- ny, Dupont and Yatesville bor- oughs. The petition states that coun- cil’s aim is to “increase efficiency in Dallas Borough and lead to better government.” Borough Manager Tracey Carr said the measure could also cut costs for the municipality. “Every time we present some- thing to council, we have to make seven copies,” she said. She also said that council members are paid $600 a year, and the reduction would save $1,200 in payments to council members. Carr said the reduction is part of an effort to streamline the bor- ough in order to be more effec- tive for citizens. “We have seven people on State law says there are two requirements needed to be met for the borough to pursue the reduction. Population must be under 3,000, and as of the 2000 census, Dallas Borough's population was 2,557. A petition also needed to be signed by five percent the borough's 1,862 registered electors, or about 93 people. (Attorney Jeffrey) Malak said 105 residents signed the petition. council with such a small popula- tion,” she said. She noted that neighboring Dallas Township has a much larger population, with’ 8,179 res- idents listed in the 2000 census, and only has three supervisors on its board. Malak said the decision also af- fects those running for office. He said the job of a councilperson re- quires a lot of extra time and ef- fort, and sometimes it’s hard to find such a dedicated candidate. “Council could be more re- sponsive instead of just trying to fill seats,” he said. Malak said, if approved, the re- duction would take place in phases, meaning that during each election, one less seat would be available until there was a total of five council mem- bers. Dallas Borough Council Presi- dent Lee Eckert said it may take up to three years to see the change in effect, but he believes it will make borough govern- ment more efficient. “Prom the beginning, it prob- ably should have been five,” he said, noting that he hasn’t seen a major population change in the borough during his time as a resi- dent and council member. He said it’s especially hard to find people in such a small pop- ulation that want to run for of- fice, and fewer seats will be able to offer council positions to those who want to be a part of their government. “It’s a trend,” said Malak. “As the population falls, people be- come busier with other things.” BACK MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP Leaders elected, results are cited By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com The Back Mountain Com- munity Partnership elected its leadership positions and re- flected on past accomplish- ments during its meeting on Thursday, Jan. 20. James Reino Jr., of Kingston Township, was elected as chair- man; John Wilkes, of Jackson Township, was elected as vice chairman; and Tim Carroll, mayor of Dallas Borough, was elected as secretary/treasurer. Members also looked back on what the group has accom- plished in its one-and-a-half years in existence, including re- ceiving various grants and pur- chasing a speed trailer for five of the six municipalities. “Everything’s working out well,” said Ray Iwanoski, of Lehman Township. “We've got- ten a couple grants and we've had no contentious meetings.” The partnership may also see an increase in membership, as Solicitor Jeffrey Malak told members that correspondence from a Harveys Lake Borough councilman revealed interest in having that borough join the group. Malak said the process for inclusion will take a few @ and has four steps. arveys Lake must first pass a resolution about its interest in joining. Each of the six partici- pating municipalities must pass a resolution approving the membership of Harveys Lake. Then, Harveys Lake must The next meeting of the Back Mountain Community Part- nership will be at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17 in the Sandy & Marlene Insalaco Hall at Miser- icordia University. pass an ordinance in accord- ance with state intergovern- mental cooperation laws to be a part of the group and, finally, the members of the partner- ship must vote unanimously for the inclusion of Harveys Lake into the group. Malak said the process takes time because the inclusion into the group is a legally-binding procedure and must be in ac- cordance with state laws and municipal codes. He estimated that if Harveys Lake is included in the group, it will probably not take effect until late spring or early sum- mer. | In other news... e Members voted to keep membership dues at $300 for each municipality. e Joe Chacke of the NEPA Alliance said the state-funded Conservation Works! projects in Kingston and Lehman town- ships should begin in February and end in mid-April. The pro- gram aims to make municipal- ities more energy efficient. e Malak told members that a grant application for a regional water study has been submit- ted. Wilkes said the grants may be awarded as soon as mid- March. MU profs to debate media volvement in Tuscon, AZ Misericordia University will hold the current events debate, “Did the Media Contribute to the Tragedy in Tuscon?,” featur- ing professors Brian Carso, J.D., Ph.D, historian and Constitu- tional scholar, and Joseph Cur- ran, Ph.D., theologian and eth- ics scholar. The two will offer differing opinions as to whether the media and political rhetoric were factors that influenced the events in Tuscon, Ariz., on Jan. 8 that resulted in the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others. The event will be held Wednesday, Feb. 2 beginning with a reception at 7 p.m. in untzinger and Alden Rooms 18-219 of Insalaco Hall. The de- bate will follow from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be moderated by former news anchor and journalist Melissa Sgroi, assist- ant professor and chair of the Misericordia University Com- munications Department. The reception is sponsored by the Friends of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library. Dr. Carso is an assistant pro- fessor of history and director of the government, law and na- tional security and pre-law pro- grams at Misericordia Universi- ty. He teaches classes in the American Founding, the Civil War, Constitutional law and Great American Trials. A practicing attorney since 1992, he worked in law and gov- ernment before receiving his Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University. He is the author of the book, “Whom Can We Trust Now? The Meaning of Treason in the United States, from the Revolu- tion through the Civil War” (Rowman and Littlefield, 2006). Dr. Curran is an assistant pro- fessor of religious studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton and his doctorate from Boston Col- lege. He teaches classes in world religions and Christian thought and previously served as inter- im dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Misericordia University. The program is open free to the public but reservations are encouraged due to limited seat- ing. For more information, con- tact Sue Lazur at the Bevevino Library at 674-6225. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Cate Trovato, of Dallas, takes ordinary mirror frames or ones made by her husband George and transforms them into art pieces. Her show "Reflections of Beauty" is on display at Outrageous in Shavertown. She transforms frames into works of art Two years ago, Trovato directed her creative side into designing and painting artisan mirror frames. Wooden frames, built by her husband, George, appear in various shapes from traditional squares to a Taj Mahal-shaped dome. By EILEEN GODIN Dallas Post Correspondent “Mirror, Mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all?” The answer may be itself, es- pecially if the mirror is one framed and designed by Dallas resident Cate Trovato. With no formal artistic train- ing, Trovato, 61, has carved a niche for herself by designing and painting artisan mirror frames. Using her life-long cre- ativeness and love of light, tex- tures and colors, Trovato creates beautiful frames for mirrors. Her frames are currently on display and available for pur- chase at Outrageous in Shaver- town Two years ago, Trovato direct- ed her creative side into design- ing and painting artisan mirror frames. Wooden frames, built by her husband, George, appear in various shapes from traditional squares to a Taj Mahal-shaped dome. Then Trovato makes magic. She draws inspiration from photos from museum magazines or a color combination from a picture or fabric. Holding a 15 by 18 inch finished piece, Trovato points to the delicate leaves which appear to drip down the sides of the frame and across the top. The inspiration for this par- ticular mirror came from a vase. She carefully drew the veins of the leaves by pushing a dried out and dull ball point pen into the wood, creating texture and a visual aspect. About five or so jewels in complimentary colors appear in strategic places, add-. ing a sparkle of color. All in all, this one took about a week to finish. “I really like how the veins of the leaves came out,” Trovato said. The thought to use jewels sparingly happened by chance when Trovato accidentally spill- ed a container of gems, causing some to fall down on one of her pieces. : “Then I began to use some on each frame to add a glint of col- or with the reflecting light,” she said. No two frames created by Tro- vato are the same. Her eclectic tastes are drawn from her favor- ite styles such as Moroccan, Craftsman, Middle Eastern and Art Deco and can be seen in the variety of her pieces. Starting as a hobby to beat the winter blues, Trovato’s talent has blossomed into an inventive way for people to add color and reflective light to their homes. “I never saw anybody do mir- rors,” she said. “They are lovely and functional.” Maria Yurchision, manager of Outrageous and a friend of Tro- vato’s, saw the potential and asked the artist to hold a show- ing last March. Although Trova- to was very nervous, she was honored that so many friends and family came from New York to view the show. “Somehow, I never thought I was good enough,” she said. “As an artist, when you put yourself out there, you do not know what to expect.” Although she did not sell any- thing that first night, Trovato was not discouraged. Full of spirit and inspiration fueled by the support of family and friends, she said just as she is finishing one project, an idea for a second comes to mind. “It seems to be the right time,” she said. “It makes me feel whole.” Although she likes seeing her designs become a reality, Trova- to also finds great satisfaction in seeing people’s expressions when they see her art. “I usually hear, ‘Oh my’,” she said. “It is the magic of the mir- » rors. Throwing snow The Kingston Township Board of Supervisors reminds all residents that it is illegal to deposit any snow or ice on any sidewalk, street, highway, fire hydrant or adjacent to a loading or unloading zone for public transportation after a snowfall. Residents are asked to depos- it all snow and ice a reasonable distance from any and all road- ways. Chapter 21, Part 4, Paragraph 402A of the borough code states that: “Depositing of snow and ice restricted. No person, per- in road illegal sons, firm or corporation own- ing or occupying any residential or non-residential property within the Township of King- ston shall deposit or cause to be deposited any snow or ice on any sidewalk, street, highway or adjacent to any fire hydrant or adjacent to any public transpor- tation loading/unloading zone; provided, however, that snow and ice may be piled by the town- ship on streets, highway or right-of-way areas incidental to the cleaning or snow removal there from by the township. Rep. Boback is named to four legislative House committees Rep. Karen Boback (R-Co- lumbia/Luzerne/ Wyoming) has announced her appoint- ment for the 2011-12 session to four legislative House commit- tees, including the Veterans Af- fairs and Emergency Prepared- ness, Agriculture and Rural Af- fairs, Tourism and Recreation- al Development and Gaming Oversight committees. The Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee examines legisla- tion regarding homeland secu- rity, emergency response, vol- unteer fire and EMS programs, nuclear power plant safety, vet- erans’ issues, Civil Air Patrol matters and issues related to the Pennsylvania National Guard. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee oversees legislation pertaining to food safety, farmland preservation, economic development in rural areas and domestic animals.
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