Vol. 122 No. 43 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 December 25 - 31, 2011 The Barras Post. @- WILKES-BARRE, PA. www.mydallaspost.com AN EDITION OF THE TIMES LEADER SHE ONLY HAS EYES FOR SANTA Santa whispers into the ear of 4-year-old Bella Shotwell at the Daddow-Isaacs American Legion Christmas Party. For more photos, please turn to page 8. FRED ADAMS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Long-time super resigns Chairman Phil Walter announces resignation to large crowd at meeting. By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Supervisors won’t have a full, three-person board until January after residents ac- cused supervisors of violating the Sunshine Act when two remaining supervisors at- tempted to appoint a replace- ment for one board member who abruptly resigned Tues- day. After a seven-minute meet- ing, Chairman Phil Walter an- bruptly “| want what's best for this township, but give me half a chance to prove myself. “Don’t shove something down my throat that shouldn't really happen.” Liz Martin Incoming Dallas Township supervisor swearing into an elected of- fice. “For someone to plan his swearing-in, there had to have been discussion and a decision made,” she said. nounced his resignation to Solicitor Thomas Brennan residents in the packed mu- repeatedly asked the supervi- nicipal building. The remain- sors whether they had delib- ing supervisors, Glenn Ho- erated prior to the meeting. well, who will be replaced by Both men said they had talk- Liz Martin on Jan. 3, and ed about the issue of Walter’s Frank Wagner attempted to resignation, but did not come appoint township emergency to a decision together on the management coordinator appointment. Both board Jack Dodson to the position. members attempted to nomi- Residents accused the su- nate Dodson for the position. pervisors of violating the Martin, who was in the au- Sunshine Act, or open meet- dience, urged the supervisors ings law. Martin said she felt to postpone the decision until the supervisors had deliberat- January when she and Wagn- ed outside of a public forum er could make the appoint- because she heard from Dis- ment together. Wagner has trict Judge James Tupper that two years left on the board, Dodson had contacted the judge about the process of See SUPER, Page5 A CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK FILE PHOTO/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Children in the Dallas School District, including Hunter and Jesica Dixon and Caitlin Walsh, show-off tee shirts with a message for the Dallas Township Zoning Hearing Board in February. (Gas issue Was d talker all year long By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com After numerous hearings and negotiations and despite idespread public protest, Dal- ®ias Township will be the end- ing site for two 30-mile pipe- lines and the location of one natural gas metering facilities. The decision whether anoth- er metering facility will be lo- 098151200798 oo cated off Lower Demunds Road will be made in January. Here's a look at a timeline of events that occurred in Dallas Township related to natural gas development. Jan. 18, 2011 —-A resident asks Dallas Township supervisors about a proposed natural gas compressor station to be built in the area at the board’s regu- lar meeting. Supervisors con- firm that they and officials from the Dallas School District held separate meetings with representatives from Chief Gathering LLC about a com- pressor station planned for Hil- debrandt Road near the district campus. See GAS, Page 9 201: A look back By SARAH HITE shite@mydallapost.com The year 2011 was a ground- breaking year for the Back Mountain, and not just because of weather. Historical moments like the late summer and early fall storms of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, Liz Martin unseating longtime Dallas Township Supervisor Glenn Ho- well and the closing of Gate of Heaven School all took place this year. Despite a dismal economy, community © growth also oc- curred, including the rise of Christian school Rock Solid A- cademy, the development of the Back Mountain Chamber of Commerce, the expansion of Mi- sericordia University and the in- creasing of services offered by the HOPE clinic at Back Moun- tain Harvest Assembly. Here’s a look back at some of the moments that defined 2011 in the Back Mountain. EDITOR'S NOTE: Natural gas issues were at the forefront of the year, too. Those moments have been compiled into a sep- arate timeline. JANUARY e Dallas residents Tony and Kitch Mussari wrap up and pre- pare to unveil their project called “Face of America,” com- memorating the 10th anniver- sary of the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. e Former Dallas School Board member Dennis Gochoel Jr. re- turns from a 10-month tour of duty in Afghanistan and jumps back into board business, name- ly the construction of the new Fd 0 s CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK FILE PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST A tree fallen across Machell Avenue in Dallas onto the property of Pauline Kutz from Hurricane Irene remained there for days before being removed in August. high school. e The Dallas Lions Club an- nounces the beginning of its “Hometown Heroes” project, which features banners with photos of past and present mil- itary veterans throughout down- town Dallas. e It’s revealed that Harveys Lake Borough is facing major budgetary issues, including a $118,000 deficit, after the new councils first year in office. Council member Larry Radel disputes this claim, saying the previous board prepared the 2010 budget and cuts reduced the deficit to $75,000. e Dallas Borough Council sends a petition to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas to reduce its size from seven to five members. It is eventually approved. FEBRUARY ¢ The Misericordia University Women with Children program celebrates its 10-year anniver- sary. The program is catered to female students and their chil- dren on campus, including pro- viding a family style dorm. Bernie Bronsberg, Greg Brown and Andrew Stocker admire an ice sculpture made especially for the new Dallas High School dedi- cation ceremony in October. e Father Vincent Dang of St. Francis Cabrini Church in King- ston Township leads a celebra- tion of the Vietnamese New Year with more than 200 people in attendance. e Former editor of The Dallas Post, Doris Monk Mallin, is re- membered as a “community See 201], Page 10 Sg cs friend.” Monk Mallin worked at the Post for many years since 1947. She passed away in Janu- ary on her 84th birthday. MARCH e The Daddow Isaacs Amer- ican Legion in Dallas celebrates
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