Sh ES Et By Sunday, June 12, 2011 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Lloyd Smith, of Nanticoke, strikes the first few soulfully fun- ky notes of The Commodores’ “Brick House” and throughout the rest of the beat-busting tune, it never dawns on the listener that Smith could ever be a 43- year-old truck driver by trade. The Cool Ride Band member was born to sing and play the ax (and the sax) like local Olympian Jim Thorpe was, as Bruce Spring- steen would say, “Born to Run.” The local cover band frequents car shows and bike weeks throughout the Back Mountain and Wilkes-Barre areas, and now the rockin’ quartet will cruise the Atlantic Ocean. Guitarist and saxophonist Smith, lead guitarist and vocalist Billy Fitt, drummer Darren Hall and his twin brother and bass player Doug Hall, will perform on a five-night Royal Caribbean cruise to Bermuda from June 18 Cool Ride band to cruise Atlantic Ocean aboard ship i () ¥ F 1 MN MYVRELE 19 Contact Sea the World Travel in Forty Fort at 714-5566 for more in- formation about the “Cruizin’ with Cool Ride” Royal Caribbean cruise to Bermuda. Missed the boat? Contact Darren Hall at 333-1075 for more information about the Cool Ride Summer Party and other planned performances. through June 23. Darren Hall, of Orange, said the trip is a milestone for the band that recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary. “It’s definitely an accomplish- ment,” he said. “It’s a feather in our cap.” The band, which members call “NEPA’s Ultimate Party Band,” is comprised of musicians who have all played instruments for 30 years or longer. It’s no surprise the band could perform for a 3,300-guest cruise ship and not be nervous. The Cool Ride Band takes listeners on a musical journey through sever- al different genres when it per- forms — anything from classic dis- co chart-toppers like the 1975 K.C. & the Sunshine Band hit “Get Down Tonight” to current tracks of today such as Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer.” And that’s just one beat of the almost symphonic performance the band provides for its fans. Vi- sual ploys play a big part of the band’s ability to get the crowd roaring with enthusiasm, and band memners take that job seri- ously. But ZZ Top-style beards, afro wigs and flashy sunglasses are just the beginning — band mem- bers even hold up signs with phrases like “make some noise” during shows, which Darren says throws partiers for a loop. “You hold a sign behind some- one who’s playing the tambou- rine and everyone’s cheering and (the person) onstage gets a kick out of it,” said Darren. The interactive band even in- vites its fans on stage to help in performances, providing instru- ments like tambourines to will- ing participants. Band members also use wireless technology so they can play with the crowd while playing their instruments. “We like to get people in- volved,” said Darren. The band plays mostly private events and club gigs, and also hosts an annual event in the Back Mountain at Konefal’s Grove in Jackson Township at the end of the summer. The Cool Ride Sum- mer Party combines two aspects of what has made the band click for five years — classic cars and classic rock. “The first time we did it, we set up a price, just to see if it would work,” said Darren. “No (newspa- per) articles announced it. We had more than 500 people show » up. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Members of the Cool Ride band are, from left, Lloyd Smith, Doug Hall, Darren Hall and Bill Fitt. And that loyal fanbase keeps coming back. For the cruise, Dar- ren said band members had the option of staying on the ship for free in exchange for their per- formance or working out a dis- counted rate for a group of fans to come onboard. They chose the latter, opting to open the transat- lantic trip to all Cool Ride lovers. It will be a family affair, too, as Darren’s recently-married son will celebrate his honeymoon on the five-day cruise. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE TIMES LEADER Victoria Grzyboski, of Lehman Township, left, Sharon Duddy, of Dallas, and Ron Grzyboski, of Leh- man Township, chat during the cocktail hour of the Back Mountain Library Auction Kickoff Dinner. Auction Kickoff Dinner Public Relations Director Carol Sweeney readies the silent auction table at Newberry Estates in Dallas. Kicking off the Auction ack Mountain Memorial Bix Auction 2011 offi- cially kicked off June 6 with the annual Auction Kick-Off Dinner at Newberry Estates. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres were followed by a buffet-style dinner including a grilling sta- tion, a pasta station and a dessert station. A mini auction offered those in attendance a chance to bid on a sampling of Nearly Olde and New Goods items, antique collectibles and plants. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP Comprehensive plan will determine area's future By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Officials are putting the final touches on the township’s first- ever comprehensive plan, which will help officials deter- mine what the future will hold for the smallest township in Lu- zerne County. The drafted comprehensive plan, which includes input from residents, reflects how officials can identify opportunities for growth and how to control com- munity development within the township. This is just the start of some major changes within the town- ship — after the approval of the comprehensive plan, officials will begin to make significant updates to the township’s zon- ing ordinance and subdivision and land development ordi- nance (SALDO), which have been in place since around 1995. Franklin Township Secreta- ry/ Treasurer Rick Melvin said the township received a $100,000 grant in 2009 from the Luzerne County Office of Com- munity Development, which will fund the comprehensive plan and the ordinance updates. Initially, officials didn’t have the intention to develop a com- prehensive plan — Melvin said the supervisors were unable to utilize the funds to fix and maintain roads within the town- ship because the areas that needed work did not meet the grant’s guidelines. “At first it was really unfamil- iar to me, a comprehensive plan,” said Chairman Ted Dy- mond. “It’s to see which direc- The drafted plan is available for public viewing at the township munic- ipal building. Contact Rick Melvin, Franklin Township secretary/trea- surer, at 333-5131 to make an appointment for viewing. tion is good for the township in the future.” A farmer by trade, Dymond said he would like to see the township remain a rural com- munity. Two major farming op- erations, Dymond’s Farm and Brace’s Orchard, are currently located within the township, as is a honey bee farm owned by William and Priscilla Perry. The plan states agriculture is still an important aspect of the township’s local economy, and keeping open spaces is key to maintaining the activity. While neighboring Back Mountain municipalities have experienced growth due to mi- gration from more urban com- munities such as Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, Dymond said Franklin Township has yet to see significant population in- creases. But officials estimate that time will come. “Kingston Township is push- ing toward us, Dallas Township is pushing toward us,” said Su- pervisor Michael Prokopchak, also a farmer. Melvin added the idea is to control that expected growth coming from neighboring mu- nicipalities, including controll ing how much land residents would need to build on a prop- erty. Prokopchak said while Dallas and Kingston townships have public water and sewage sys- tems, Franklin Township re- quires all residents to have their own septic and well water sys- tems. To address the spacing issue for new homes, a precedent needs to be set as to how much land a builder would need to maintain these independent systems. “Instead of two acres, a resi- dent would need 2 % acres to accommodate a failed (septic or water) system,” said Prokop- chak. According to the plan, resi- dential properties make up about 12 percent of the town- ship’s land use, most of which is scattered along the township’s main roads. Open space and woodlands account for about 46 percent, and agriculture utilizes about 36 percent of the town- ship’s land space. Dymond said the plan re- flects what residents feel are the most important aspects of the community — road maintenance and police and emergency ser- vices. Melvin said road work makes up about two-thirds of the township’s priorities, which is why the supervisors initially wanted to utilize the grant mon- ey for road maintenance. The township is patrolled by state police from its barracks in Wyoming and satellite oper- ations in Laporte, Shickshinny, Towanda and Tunkhannock. Franklin Township has two vol- See PLAN, Page 9 JACKSON TOWNSHIP Supers looking into possible regional police participation Although the study will determine if a regional police force could provide better service to the communities, it does not mean a regional police force is on the horizon. By EILEEN GODIN Dallas Post Correspondent **Supervisors approved a mo- tion to research the pros and cons of participating in a re- gional Back Mountain police force while a dirt bike course rattled the nerves of many resi- dents. Already a member of the Back Mountain Regional Emer- gency Management Agency, the township agreed Monday to a feasibility study by the Governors Center for Local Government Services for a Back Mountain regional police force. The Governors Center for Local Government Services is a resource local municipalities can use for help in planning and developing services to better aid residents. Fox said the study will look at each municipality separately to determine if combining po- lice staff and resources could be beneficial. He said once the study is complete, each partici- pating municipality will re- ceive the results of their police department study. Supervisor Al Fox said the study will be funded through a grant from the Governors Cen- ter for Local Government Ser- vices. Although the study will de- termine if a regional police force could provide better ser- vice to the communities, it does not mean a regional police force is on the horizon, Super- visor chairman John J. Wilkes Jr. said. “We are looking to see if there is a better way,” Fox said. In other news, residents came armed with a petition to stop a neighbor on Cigarski Road from developing a moto- Cross course. Over the weekend, the con- stant buzz of dirt bikes and clouds of dust struck a nerve with residents in the Meadow- crest, Chase Manor, Chase Road and Cigarski Road. Resi- dent John Pieczynski present- ed a petition with about 30 to 40 names of nearby residents against the budding motocross course. Another resident said there was a cloud of dust rising from the property and resident Rich Mulhern said there were eight bikes going at one time. The property owner was not in attendance and his or her name was not released. Wilkes said supervisors are aware of the situation and have had at- torney Jeffery Malak and code enforcement officer Andy Shol- tis working towards a solution for the past several weeks. Wilkes said the landowner was served with a zoning vio- lation on Monday morning, re- quiring the activity to be stop- ped. He added the property is zoned for agricultural and a dirt bike track is not covered for acceptable use under the current zoning laws. Also, supervisors approved Malak to advertise the 2011 paving projects which include either partial work or larger portions of work to Pinecone See POLICE, Page 9 4
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