Vol. 124 No. 26 THE BACK MOUNTAIN'S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1889 Sunday, September 1-7, 2013 The DALLAS POST . WILKES-BARRE, PA. WWW.MYDALLASPOST.COM AN EDITION OF THE TIMES LEADER Yonny James is back where it all bega Former Lehman-Jackson student now principal at that school DOTTY MARTIN dmartin@mydallaspost.com Donny James doesn’t remember ever being sent to the principals office when he was a stu- dent at Lehman-Jackson Elementary School. Today, that office is his home away from home. After spending nine years as principal at Ross Elementary School, James was named principal at Lehman-Jackson this year, replacing Marilyn Glogowski who retired at the end of last school year. James, 39, is no strang- r to Lehman-Jackson, ough. He spent five years faching fifth and sixth grade there, before mov- ing to the principal’s posi- tion at Ross. His mother, Eleanor, has been the sec- retary at Lehman-Jackson since he was a student there and his wife, the former Shelene Perlis, is a fifth-grade teacher there. “We have a business rela- tionship in school,” James said of his mother, seated at the desk just outside his office. “She’s Eleanor in school and Mom outside of school.” He reminisced about a recent visit from Charles James (no relation), princi- pal at Lehman-Jackson dur- ing his school days. “He still lives around here and visited just a cou- ple weeks ago,” James said. Of the move from Ross to Lehman-Jackson, James sees it as a “beginning pro- Tribute event CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Dallas Post Correspondent energizes many, comforts others After bouts of heat and humidity, the skies cleared and the humidity lifted last Saturday. The heavens seemed to smile on the crowd of about 325 people in Mountaineer Field at Dallas Senior High School who walked to celebrate Debbie Darling Belenski’s life. any commented they could feel her energy and presence on the field and that, somehow, she was there with them. The local woman died unexpectedly and suddenly from a brain aneurysm 10 months ago. “Debbie was healthier than you or I and most people. She taught aerobics class for 12 years,” said Mark Belenski, her husband, who, along with Debbie’s family and friends, organized the cess.” “I have to start over,” he said of his new position. “I have to make sure the fac- ulty and staff are familiar with procedures and, yes, I have goals.” His main goal is to enhance communication from his office to parents and students and his first priority for the September faculty meeting, he said, will be safety, security and lock-down procedures. Although he remembers a time when doors in both homes and schools were rarely locked, the safety of his students is on his mind every day. A buzzer at the school’s main entrance must be rung and visitors, who are visible from the secre- CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK | FOR THE DALLAS POST Donny James, the new principal at Lehman-Jackson Elementary School, is getting comfortable in that position. James attended the school when he was young and his mother, Eleanor, is the school secretary. tary’s desk, must announce themselves prior to being allowed in the building. Once a visitor enters the building, he or she must proceed directly to the main office where a sign- in/sign-out book is utilized. “We need to always be aware of who's coming in and who's going out of this building,” he said. See JAMES | 8 The Walk for Debbie's Darfings Judge reconsiders location for appeal of Sandusky case Cases will be heard at county courthouse, rather than Dallas H.S. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Dallas Post Correspondent The Jerry Sandusky appeal trial will NOT be heard at Dallas High School, after all. Neither will another case involv- ing a man who sexually abused his daughter, said Pennsylvania Superior Court Justice president Jack Panella. Both cases cases will be now heard at the Luzerne County Courthouse. There will be many other cases heard at the high school those two days - Sept. 17 and 18, according to Mary Graybill, chief pro- thonatory at the Superior Court. The idea to bring pro- ceedings out of major cit- ies is to allow the general public a chance to see the judicial porcess at work. It just so happened that the Sandusky appeal was on the docket for the days the process was scheduled for the Back See APPEAL | 8 Mary Darling, mother of the late Debbie Darling Belenski — who died 10 months ago — is com- forted by her sister-in-law, Sharon Strasser. Chris and Michele Luther, of Archbald, worked in the Scranton office of Prudential Insurance with Debbie Darling Belenski and were particpants in ‘The Walk event. CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK photos | FOR THE DALLAS POST for Debbie's Darlings’ held last Her father and mother, Nieces and nephews of Debbie Darling Belenski particpate in the event at Mountaineer Field at Dallas Senior High School. Saturday. ) Mary and Norm Darling, a popular Back Mountain couple who own a farm and produce stand on Hildebrant Road across from the entrance to the school com- plex, stood by a table which held pictures of Darling Belenski and a large, patched memorial quilt made from T- shirts she liked to wear. With tears running down her face, Mary Darling said, “This is a beautiful tribute to her. She loved to walk and run.” Money from the event will be used to purchase 100 backpacks filled with school supplies for needy children and given to Catholic Social Services and the Dallas School District. Michele Luther, a co- worker of Darling Belenski'’s at Prudential Insurance in Scranton, remembered. “Debbie had a large, wel- coming, hard-to-forget per- sonality,” she said. “She did so much good and would help anyone.” Darling Belenski’s aunt, 78-year-old Florence Biagiotti, made one lap around the field with the aid of her cane. “A year ago Debbie came to Maryland and surprised me for my birthday and then she was gone. I'm not going to be a couch potato,” she said. Mark Belenski and the Darling family thanked all who participated in the walk. Belenski felt that orga- nizing the walk helped him, too. “Deb was here with me today and, along with all these people, this has helped me tremendously,” he said He plans to continue the tradition of a walk in her memory as long as the com- munity remains involved and has an idea to set up a scholarship fund in his wife’s name at Dallas Senior High School, her alma mater. Anyone interested in vol- unteering or making a con- tribution to the fund can call Mark Belenski at 550-3647. Three hundred twenty five participants walked a mile at Dallas High School in memory of Debbie Darling Belenski, including her 78-year-old aunt, Florence Biagotti, walking with a cane. Flower boxes help brighten up Dallas Elementary Students arriving at Dallas Elementary School this year were greeted with beautiful mums in new flower boxes cated in front of the school. The boxes were made students at West Side Career and Technical Center and will beautiful the front of the school in the fall and the spring. Members of the school’s Parent/Teacher Organization planted the flowers. ¢'"M09815020079 Carlene Mussleman with her daughters, Madyson, right, and Vinny Fazzino and his mother, Melissa, help plant fall mums in Makenzie Musselman, botton left, look over the planting project new planters at Dallas Elementary School. Also pictured is Zoe that will decorate the front of Dallas Elementary School. Yonkowski, right. | CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK photos | FOR THE DALLAS POST Izzy Peterkin, Makenzie Muselman and Esme Yonkowski help plant mums at Dallas Elementary School.
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