m— Sunday, August 26, 2012 THE DALLAS POST Al Martin, left, of Orlando, Fla., and Sandy Race, of Corneluis, N.C., talk about the good old days. Lake-Noxen Class of 1960 members Anne Whitesell Smith, left, of HS classmates celebrate 70th By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com Two classes — one that gradu- ated before and one that gradu- ated after the merger of the Lake- Lehman School District — gath- ered to celebrate their 70th birth- days at Grotto Pizza on Aug. 10. The Lake-Lehman School Dis- trict formed in 1960 and those who graduated from Lehman Township High School in 1959 and Lake-Noxen High School in gathered to reminisce — ugh neither class ever attend- ed the same school. “I don’t know any of those peo- ple,” said Norma McNeill, of Shickshinny. “I just came to see what’s going on.” She and three other friends who graduated from Lehman Township sat at a table in a pri- vate room in Grotto Pizza to rem- inisce with each other during the event. Their class had about 70 grad- uates, and two years ago they held a 50th anniversary reunion weekend. They even visited their former high school, which is now “I don't know any of those people. | just came to see what's go- ing on." Norma McNeill Shickshinny Church on Outlet Road. “It was wonderful,” said McNeill, a former cheerleader. “We had a 70 percent turnout for that reunion.” Robert Gregory Jr., of Lehman Township, worked on his father’s farm during high school, but tried to sneak in a football game from time to time. Al Niezgoda, who lives in Dover, Del., was an athlete, play- ing football and other sports. “My favorite subjects were lunch and recess,” he joked. On the other side of the room, Lake-Noxen grads hammed it up for old time’s sake while enjoying various appetizers. The Martins happened to find love through staying in touch over the years. Al Martin and his bride of seven years, Mary Ann, John Arendt, of Carbondale, to the reunion. Sweet Valley, and Betty Honeywell Spencer, of Noxen, chat during a reunion celebrating the 70th birthdays of graduates of Lake- Noxen and Lake-Lehman High Schools. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Clammates and spouses attending the 70th birthday reunion at Grotto Pizza are, from left, clockwise, Allan Hobbs, Don Kocher, Ray Wandel, Bev Wandel, Alice Kocher, Carol Benvett Hobbs, all of Harveys Lake; and Richard Race, of Corneluis, N.C. reconnected after their spouses died. Al was living in Lake Town- ship at the time and eventually made the big move to Florida to be with his girl — at least that’s what he called her when they dated in high school back in 1960. “They play golf together, and sometimes she lets him win,” said friend and cousin-in-law Al- ice Piatt-Martin. Mary Ann Martin loves going to reunions because it makes her feel like she’s back in high school. “Age doesn’t matter,” she said. “We get together, we sing old songs, we tell stories. It makes you feel young.” & site of the River of Life Residents urged to display addresses SUSAN BETTINGER Times Leader Correspondent Councilwoman Amy Wil liams urges all residents to dis- play their 911 addresses on their homes. The green signs must be a minimum of three inches tall and made of reflective material, Williams said at borough coun- cil’s regular meeting on Aug. 21. Emergency services need to be able to locate the addresses clearly and quickly. The signs must bé posted on mailboxes, as well. A change of address form is not needed, as the old and new addresses are linked and the post office will forward mail for one year. Residents can call Borough Secretary Susan Sut- ton at 639-2113 for information on where to obtain the signs, as well as how to properly display them. Resident Phil Krazner ques- tioned the 1986 two-story boathouse rule. The ordinance prohibits any boathouse in Har- veys Lake from having a second story. Council President Larry Radel responded by telling Krazner he could “fill out a re- quest form to have it looked at by the planning and zoning de- partment.” olicitor Charles McCor- k added that the issue was voted on again in 2009 after a two-year review and Council voted to keep the ordinance in- tact. McCormick further stated the rule helps to keep boathous- es from being used as residenc- 1 A change of address form is not needed, as the old and new addresses are linked and the post office will for- ward mail for one year. Resi- dents can call Borough Sec- retary Susan Sutton at 639- 2113 for information on where to obtain the signs, as well as how to properly dis- play them. es. Councilwoman Michelle Boice inquired as to why the number of calls to the police de- partment, which is reported to Harrisburg, and the number an- nounced at the monthly meet- ings aredifferent. Boice pointed out the number of calls given at the meeting is much greater than the number reported to Harrisburg. Police Chief Char- lie Musial replied that, under Title 18, only misdemeanors or more serious calls are reported to Harrisburg. Resident Carol Culver ex- pressed concern as to the rea- son her trash was not picked up this week. It was reported that a number of other residents’ gar- bage pickups were missed, as well. The borough has a new crew picking up trash and it was not familiar with the route. The situation is expected to clear up by the next pickup date. The next council meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 18. Mary Gibbon, left, and A.J. Leib, both of Mountain Top, have a laugh during the presentation by master gardener Roberta Troy in Forty Fort. BILL TARUTIS PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Pam Casey, left, of Luzerne, and David Orbin, of Drums, take notes on native and invasive plants during a talk by master gardener Roberta Troy. Learning about invasive plants By SARAH HITE shite@mydallaspost.com There’s a predator living in He- lene Hvizda’s backyard. The spiny creature slithers be- tween blades of grass, swirling around living beings and tighten- ing its grip, essentially choking the life out of them. No, it’s not a monster from a horror movie. It’s an invasive plant called the Mile-a-Minute vine that hails from faraway countries like India, Eastern Asia, China and islands from Japan to the Philippines, and it grows so rapidly that it overtakes most other plants in the Hazleton woman’s yard. “I've been fighting this for two years,” she said. Hvizda and others flocked to the Luzerne County West Annex building in Forty Fort on Aug. 8 to listen to Penn State Master Gardener Roberta Troy talk about how to identify and combat these alien predators in one’s For more information about identifying invasive plants and how to control them, contact the Penn State Extension in Luzerne County at 825-1701 or e-mail questions to LuzerneExt@psu.edu. own yard. An invasive plant is one that was accidentally, or purposely, brought from another country and, because of the lack of natural predators such as insects and small animals that are in the plant’s new habitat, are some- times a force to be reckoned with. Without birds and bugs to keep growth rates in check, invasive plants grow rapidly and spread aggressively throughout their new homes, which can cause harm to native plants that are fighting for the same ecosystems. According to the United States National Arboretum website, the U.S. government spends about $100 million yearly to fight inva- sive plants in wetlands alone. The aggressive plants can over- % take entire ecosystems, leaving the land undiversified and barren food-wise for native birds, bugs and small animals. As Troy, of Franklin Township, stated during the presentation, the two kinds of plants often have to fight to the death. “Some people ask, ‘Why should I care?” said Troy. “I am a hiker. I am a gardener. I am a bird- watcher. Invasive plants grow over trails and make them hard to navigate. They invade our garden They replace native vegetation needed for food and shelter for birds and small animals.” Troy covered some common invasive plants found in the area and what native species look sim- ilar to each other and can be planted to replace its evil doppel- Penn State Extension Master Gardner Roberta Troy, of Fran- klin Township, gives a presenta- tion on native and invasive plants at the Luzerne County West Side Annex in Forty Fort. ganger. She said many landscapers in the area may be unknowingly selling invasive plants. The com- monly called Butterfly Bush, also an invasive species, can be con- sidered a backyard staple to at- tract butterflies, if kept in confin- ing conditions. “I have a Butterfly Bush, but I planted it in a raised bed,” said Troy. “That way it can’t spread. See PLANTS, Page 12
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