PAGE 10
THE DALLAS POST
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013
PEOPLE BRIEFS
THREE RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS
Three local students have been
awarded scholarships to attend
Alvernia University this fall.
Leah Benedetti, of Dallas,
has been granted the Veronica
Founder’s Scholarship to study
Occupational Therapy at. She is
a senior at Dallas Senior High
School.
Cheyenne Hunsinger, of
Tunkhannock, has been granted
the Trustees’ Scholarship to
study Nursing. She is a senior at
Tunkhannock High School.
Meghan O’Brien, of Dallas,
has been granted the Trustees’
Scholarship to study Middle
School Education. She is a senior
at Dallas Senior High School.
PSU STUDENTS VISIT NEVADA
Penn State Wilkes-Barre honors
students finished academic
coursework in Nevada and Ari-
zona over the recent spring break.
The course, which dealt with
the culture and music of indig-
enous peoples of the American
southwest, included on-site
experiences of the Colorado River,
. the engineering and workings of
Hoover Dam, the west rim of the
_ Grand Canyon and native folklore
and culture of the Hualapai
Americans on their nearly million-
acre reservation in Arizona.
Back Mountain students who
took part in that program include
Lee Kozokas, Trucksville; Randy
Thompson, Tunkhannock; Kiley
Foley, Dallas; Sydney Doyle,
Sweet Valley; Christina Pino, Dal-
las; and Randall Welsh, Hunlock
Creek.
MU STUDENTS RECOGNIZED
Christina L. Harrison, of
Tunkhannock, and Sara J. Scott,
of Hunlock Creek, were among
i Misericordia University students
“recently recognized as members
_ of the ninth graduating class from
the Diagnostic Medical Sonogra-
phy Certificate Program during
.«the annual certificate presentation
4 ceremony in Sandy and Marlene
# Insalaco Hall on campus.
LL DIVERS COMPETE AT STATES
Matthew Edkins, a sopho-
more at Lake-Lehman, recently |
competed in the 2013 PIAA
State Championships in Diving
at Bucknell University, finishing
third overall and earning a bronze
medal with a score of 407.35. Last
year, he finished in sixth place.
Also competing at the state.
tournament from Lake-Lehman
was senior, Dustin Zeiler who
made his first trip to the state
contest in his 2 -ear diving career.
The Lake-Lehman divers
are coached by Erin Yurko, an
All-American diver at Clarion
University and a special education
teacher with the Lake-Lehman
School District.
DOLMAN SERVES ON
MENTORING PROGRAM
Alyssa Dolman, of Trucksville,
is among 41 students serving
as mentors this semester in the
Luzerne County Juvenile Justice
College Mentoring Program. She
is a student at King’s College.
Coordinated by King’s criminal
justice and sociology depart-
ments, the program involves
students mentoring first-time,
non-violent juvenile offenders
from Luzerne County. The offend-
ers meet with mentors on campus
for two supervised 90-minute ses-
sions a week for four weeks.
A sophomore history and sec-
ondary education major, Dolman
is a member of the King’s College
Theatre, the History Society and
the Education Club. She assisted
Bloomers plan annual Tour of Back Mountain Gardens
The Back Mountain Bloom-
ers Garden Club announces the
Sixth Biannual Tour of Back
Mountain Gardens will be held
from 9 am. to 4 p.m. on Satur-
day, June 29. Six private gardens,
four in Dallas and two in Harveys
Lake, plus the Shakespeare Gar-
den at Misericordia University
are included on this tour.
The selected gardens display
a diversity of landscape de-
signs, styles and themes. From
the small individually tended
garden to an extensive expanse
of gardens to the award-win-
ning themed knot garden at Mi-
sericordia, all offer a feast for
your eyes and wonderment at
the beauty of landscaping.
Flowers in beds, garden
swaths and pots decorating
decks and extensive manicured
walkways featuring a fountain,
a pond and a pool with pool
house, a gazebo, eclectic gar-
den sculptures, a lovely open
paddock for horses and gor-
geous views of Harveys Lake
await those who participate in
the one-day tour of gardens in
the Back Mountain.
Garden, nature and landscap-
ing workshops will be offered
by some of the area’s most rec-
ognized master gardeners, pro-
fessional landscapers and arbor-
ists. Members of the Wyoming
Valley Art League will paint en
plein air in the gardens.
All proceeds from the day’s
events will benefit the Anthra-
cite Scenic Trails Association
(ASTA), an organization de-
veloping and maintaining the
Back Mountain Trail, a former
railroad bed that has been
transformed into a recreational
trail for hiking and biking from
Luzerne Borough in the Wyo-
ming Valley to eventually reach
Ricketts Glen State Park. |
To date, the Bloomers’ Gar- |
den Tours in 2003, 2005, 2007, |
2009 and 2011 attracted more |
than 2,300 people and raised |
over $38,000 for ASTA. ;
Tickets for the Tour of Back |
Mountain Gardens are $20 per
person if purchased on or be- |
fore June 22. Ticket price after |
June 22 is $25.
To request a Garden Tour |
brochure and registration form,
contact Julie McMonagle at
696-5082 or e-mail jjmcmon@ |
frontiernet.net. 4
The completed registration |
form and payment should then This delightful fountain surrounded by beautiful landscaping
be mailed to Anthracite Scenic and expansive vistas will be one of six private gardens featured
Trails Association, P.O. Box during the Back Mountain Bloomers Tour of Back Mountain
Gardens on Saturday, June 29.
212, Dallas, PA 18612.
The sign leads ‘Brave Souls’ into 39-degree wate
PLUNGE
Continued from Page 1
This year, Lake-Lehman juniors
Rene Rismondo and Amy Wil-
liams were at the helm, shepherd-
ing plungers through the registra-
tion line, down to the lake and
encouraging them into the water
- all before they took the plunge
themselves.
The 63-year-old Finnerty, of
Harveys Lake, is a cancer survivor
himself, having beaten throat can-
cer seven years ago. He has taken
the plunge all eight years of the
event.
“Jumping into a lake in the win-
ter was always on my bucket list,”
he laughed.
Kathy Pajor, 54, of Luzerne,
sporting 1920s swimming garb,
said “Why not?” when asked why
she participates every year. Pajor
went on to admit that she’s known
several people affected by cancer
and respects the event because it
helps those afflicted with the dis-
Lake-Lehman juniors Rene Rismondo, left, of Lehman Township,and
Amy Williams, of Sweet Valley, organizers of the 2013 Polar Bear
Plunge, give instructions before sounding the horn to start the
first wave of plungers.
lian, remained on shore, all bun-
dled up as her mother made her
way to the water.
“She has a braver soul,” Gillian
said of her mother, almost admir-
ingly.
Russ Keeler, of Kingston, al-
ways wanted to jump in a frozen
participating in an American Can-
cer Society Relay for Life. Once
in the water, Keeler, dressed in a
frilly pink tutu with plastic pink
glasses on his head, remained in
the water for the allowed three
minutes.
Fourteen-year-old Connor Swit-
BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE DALLAS POST
while his friend,
Nick Hall, 14, of Shavertown, par-
ticipated in the event, “cuz I'm
awesome.”
Both boys are students at Wyo-
ming Seminary.
Joseph Sharon, 15, of Shaver-
town, plunged last year but admit-
ted it wasn’t as cold then. Reports
indicated the air temperature was
in the 40s for last year’s event.
Sharon’s friend, 15-year-old J.P.
Natishan, of Shavertown, stood
among a group of boys with his
pants down around his ankles and
a towel wrapped around his shoul-
ders.
From behind, his father, Jerry,
admitted, “That’s my kid!” but
sees J.P. and his buddies as “a
good bunch of boys.”
Lake-Lehman Superintendent
Jim McGovern looked a little less
excited about plunging than the
younger boys but did it, nonethe-
less.
“The girls organizing this came
to me on Thursday and asked if I'd
do it,” he said. “I couldn’t say no.”
After being helped out of the
lake, McGovern couldnt get to
in teaching the Junior Achieve- ease. lake and got involved in the Polar zer, of Harding, admitted to being his wife, Maureen, and a waiting
ment curriculum to local high Her daughter, 18-year-old Gil- Bear Plunge a few years ago after “cold already” long before he got towel fast enough.
school students.
She is the daughter of Frank
and Pam Dolman.
Staffing changes in Ki I
ng changes In Kingston Twp. a
ng PUZZLE ANSWERS | IL a a,
Kingston Township announces 2 King Crossword — pe SSWon y
the appointment of Laura Slocum Continued from Page 2 Answers Answers
as the township’s new tax collec- . J TRUS THA L BiA/B RIL
tor and Karen Rose as new assis- LR SRT Go Figure! HLL A Solution time: 25 mins. ma . £ 5 = = A L ¥ H All
tant township manager. answers Bl: c.0 HY g 5 ; :
Slocum is a lifelong resident RIOBERTAN EMATICIOS
of Kingston Township. She and . 1 x|2]|10 4 P Se CU HL A Ale s A
her husband, Bartt, currently Rose TEM SE] SEL
reside in Shavertown. She at- X X DOROTH MIA
tended Bloomsburg University for approximately 13 years and, VIiIiC ’ 5 I > : B
and LCCC, graduating with an for the last year, has taken on the 91-14 (14 O|N US Allo
Associate degree in Business. Slo- added responsibilities of assistant LiaipiL; FT]A
cum also possesses ‘a real estate township manager. She earned BE | + i i 7] 2 : TH : s N
license and has a background in a Bachelor of Science degree in BIE ¥
banking. Business Administration and 31 -i8i13 GIN/OM EW
The tax collector’s hours are Management from Bloomsburg e A BE E
from 9 am. to 3 p.m. Mondays University and has an extensive 10 1 > 1 ee NY PD plP
and Thursdays. background in accounting and AIAHS Yis
Rose served as tax collector
real estate.