i sa a || IY... "= Sunday, January 29, 2012 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 3 By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Jeff Box was recently sworn in for a third term as Kingston Township supervisor, but the ap- pointment was a bit unexpected. Box didn’t run for re-election in 2011 - not even in the primary. But he won the seat left va- cant by former supervisor John Solinsky after residents wrote his name on the ballot more than anyone else’s moniker, and the rest is history. “Im flattered,” Box said of winning the write-in vote. Solinsky dropped out of the race in August, which left one seat vacant on the board. Super- visor James Reino Jr. won anoth- er term, and newcomer Gary Mathers was elected for a four- year term on the board in the November general election. Box, 51, wanted to step down from his position due to “work reasons,” but Kingston Town- ship residents had other plans for the longtime public servant. “When I got the call from the election bureau that I received the most write-in votes, I just couldn't walk away,” he said about his decision to stay in the position. “I'm glad folks in King- ston Township still have confi- dence in me.” Box’s third term comes after a long history in Kingston Town- ship governmental affairs. He started his foray in munici- pal government in the early 1980s as a student intern in the Kingston Township office. “I developed a fondness for municipal management,” said Box. “Good management is an absolute necessity.” After he graduated from Wilkes College in 1985 with a degree in business administra- tion and political science, it “When | got the call from the election bureau that | received the most write-in votes, | just couldn't walk away.” Jeff Box Kingston Twp. supervisor wasn’t long before he found him- self back in the Kingston Town- ship municipal office. He became involved with the township planning commission when he moved to Shavertown with his wife, Maire, in the late 1980s. Then Box nabbed a job as the township manager in Sep- tember 1988, which he held for 13 years. “It was like a dream come true,” he said. During those years, he saw the township grow and munici- pal government change, but he still feels citizens receive the most for their money on the lo- cal level. “One of the things I've always admired about Kingston Town- ship is its tradition for solid pub- lic service,” said Box. “Citizens truly receive $1 of service for ev- ery $1 in taxes, and I'm pleased to have been a part of continuing that tradition.” Box resigned from his posi- tion as manager in 2001, and af- terwards, the township board of supervisors went in disarray. Within just a few weeks, one supervisor resigned and two “The people speak and Box returns to KT super post BILL TARUTIS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST passed away, leaving two mem- Jeff Box decided not to run for re-election as a Kingston Township supervisor but returned to theposition as voters elected him in a See BOX, Page 12 write-in campaign. ST Y.E7, LE 2% RIE" A EAE SA RE 2 Rf § aE I} I RE | 1 EF BR PAOVR ML JINR IX i iv § J EHINITY PADPDTNEBCUHID Vivi} % Ae EN oF ER EB rh Lake Township may be newest member By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Lake Township is gearing up to become a member of the Back Mountain Community Partner- ; ship, as members discussed the wnship’s inclusion at a meet- g Jan. 19. Amy Salansky, a Lake Town- ship supervisor, attended the partnership meeting to retrieve more information about joining the group. The partnership cur- rently includes Dallas Borough and Dallas, Franklin, Jackson, Kingston and Lehman town- ships. “I would like to be able to take back the information I obtain to- day ... back to my other two su- pervisors to kind of seal the deal and join with you guys,” she said. Lake Township officials sent the partnership a letter last @ about the process of en- ering into the governmental partnership. Solicitor Jeff Malak said Lake Township will need to pass an or- dinance, affirming its inclusion in the group. The partnership will make a recommendation for or against Lake Township’s par- ticipation, and a unanimous vote from each individual municipal- ity will be needed before Lake Township can join. Then the partnership will need to vote to amend the intergovernmental cooperation agreement to in- clude Lake Township. Vice Chairman John Wilkes Jr., of Jackson Township, said Lake Township is already part of the Back Mountain Regional Emergency Management Agen- cy. Chairman James Reino Jr., of Kingston Township, said super- visors also sent a letter of sup- port for the partnership’s latest grant application. In other news, Wilkes dis- cussed’ the sharing of code en- forcement and third-party in- spection services among partner- ship members. He said many of the munici- palities have similar comprehen- sive plans drawn up by the same organizations and similar zoning ordinances. Wilkes even pointed out that three municipalities in the part- nership - Dallas Borough, Dallas Township and Jackson Township - currently have an assistant zon- ing officer in common. He thought more research may be able to provide citizens with better services and a cost savings for local governments. “Sometimes these things save money, and sometimes they don’t,” said Wilkes. “It’s worth looking into.” Wilkes also said having a full- time, regional zoning office would provide better service to residents. For example, the Jack- son Township zoning office is on- ly open until noon most days, which could be a hindrance to the permitting process for resi- dents. Reino said the partnership will conduct research before next year’s township reorganization meetings to see if the idea is fea- sible. BMPA DONATES TO ADOPT A COP PROGRAM The Back Mountain Police Association recently donated an- other$1200 to the “Adopt A Cop” program created by Fallen Offi- cers Remembered to help purchase two new bulletproof vests for local law enforcement officers. The BMPA has been a yearly contributor to the program for several years and raises the funds from proceeds of the annual Back Mountain Police Associ- ation Golf Tournament. Kranson Uniform was also instrumental ith the purchase and fitting of the vests. From left, are Gina @ FOR co-founder; Ranger Darren Kramer, BMPA secretary and golf tournament coordinator; vest recipient Officer William Acuff, Dallas Borough; Officer Martin Maransky, BMPA presi- dent; Jaclyn Pocceschi Mosley, FOR co-founder. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Members of Cub Pack 155 watch one of the Pinewood Derby heats at the Trucksville United Methodist Church Hall. START YOUR ENGINES Cub Scout Pack 155 holds annual Pinewood Derby at TUMC facility. By EILEEN GODIN Dallas Post Correspondent “Gentlemen — Start your en- gines” kicked off Cub Scout Pack 155’s Pinewood Derby on Jan. 20 in the Boy Scout room of the William and Melba Dick- son Educational Facility at the Trucksville United Methodist Church. The derby race is an annual event held by the Boy Scouts of America. Although Pack leader Russ Banta does not know how long the local Cub Scouts have been participating, he said the derby originated in 1953 in Califor- nia. There were no limits to the local Cub Scouts’ imagination as car designs stemmed from the traditional sports carsand a Herbie “The Love Bug,” to the unique such as a pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. All cars had to meet a weight limit of five ounces and a length of seven inches. The Cub Scouts voted Sam- my Santangelo’s car, Angry Bird inspired from the video game, Best in Show. All Scouts received a blue ribbon for building their race cars and participating in the Each race consisted of six cars on a metal track complete with a built-in digital timer. The winners of those races competed against each other to determine the top three winners, who were, Doug New- bigging, first place; Jacob Calkins, second place, and David Kottler, third place. event. Families filled the Scout room to standing room only ca- pacity to cheer for their favor- ite cars. The excitement of the night was contagious. Cub Master Rick Ostroski thanked sponsors of the event, including the Trucksville Unit- ed Methodist Church, Trucks- ville; Pizza Perfect, Trucks- ville; AA Auto Parts Store, Dal- las; Domino’s Pizza, Dallas; Metzgar Aluminum Inc., Sha- vertown; and Impressions Media, Wilkes-Barre. as Matt Cheskiewicz, of Dall scale to check its weight. as, places his pine-block racecar onto a Locals named to deans list at The University of Scranton Several Back Mountain resi- dents have been named to the dean’s list at The University of Scranton for the fall 2011 semes- ter. They are Nicole E. Clemson, Dallas; Christopher B. Dona- hue, Dallas; Sara J. Krogulski, Shavertown; Rosemary A. Shav- er, Shavertown; Edward SS. Stredny, Dallas. Also, Rebekah Stuart, Dallas; Cory C. Templeton, Trucksville; Paul J. VanLoon, Dallas; and Lauren Weaver, Shavertown. To attain dean’s list, a student must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better with a minimum number of credit hours.
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