ERE
Sp SS A
ee.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
"THE DALLAS POST
PAGE 3
ESS SPOTLIGHT: FINO’S PHARMACY
Family of pharmacists remembers 50 years of service in Dallas
CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK
Dallas Post Correspondent
The early 1960s were notable
ears for Dominic Fino - his
er died, he got married and,
1963, he bought an historic
uilding in the center of Dallas
that has been the site of his
family’s business for the last 50
years.
Looking out the second floor
window of the building re-built
in 1894 after a fire, Fino tells the
story.
“I remember my mother want-
ed to drive around with me to
see the building because she had
worked for Col. Reynolds. She
lived in Wilkes-Barre and would
take the train to Dallas center
where the Reynolds (family)
would pick her up at this store.”
But Fino, 78, whose father
Pasquale (Patrick) owned a
thriving family pharmacy on
Main Street in Pittston (still
operated by his nephew Vincent
Fino), was not impressed as he
drove around the area.
“It was all farmland,” Fino
recalled. “There was nothing
here until you came to Dallas. I
wondered where all the business
Ss going to come from and
Q- all the people were. I was
t sure. I wanted to branch out
on my own.”
He put aside some of his fear
when an area drug supplier from
Scranton offered to show him
past stores receipts for drug
supplies in Dallas and gave him
backing in the form of credit
toward drugs and supplies.
The building Fino chose in
the center of Dallas had been
operating as a drug store since
before 1913 and was owned by
the Kuehn family, which lived on
nearby on Church Street. Fino
bought the building from the
Kuehns.
Other early pharmacists in
Dallas that Fino mentions were
C.H Hall, Walter Harter, George
Norton and a man named
Roberts. These names, along
with Fino’s, also appear in the
D.A. Waters, “History of Dallas.”
Fino bought the two- story
structure that Toby’s Creek runs
under and continued to accom-
modate meetings of the local
chapter of the Odd Fellows
International on the second
floor. The meetings are still held
there today.
And so for the past 50 years,
Fino, with help from Bob Wilson,
Polly Bobersky and Sister Erzam
Shavanel, a Sister of Mercy, his
family and many others from the
community, the Finos have dis-
pensed drugs and, at one time,
ran a soda fountain in the build-
ing.
“In those days, every phar-
macy had a soda fountain,” men-
tions Fino.
The soda fountain is gone,
some of the antiques remain,
but the competition is fierce
in an industry that, while still
growing under the weight of
the baby boomer generation,
has seen four or five new super
drug stores open in the Back
Mountain. Yet, Fino’s continues
to deliver prescriptions to homes
and offers an in-store credit line
to customers.
Dominic Sr. is now semi-
retired and his sons, Michael and
Dominic Jr., help with the fam-
ily business. His granddaughter,
Sarah Brassinger, also works
there. Fino also has a daughter,
Lee Anne.
Michael Fino, 40, who grew up
washing 5-galllon glass bottles
that held cough syrup and ton-
ics for the stomach, is the third
generation of Fino men to have
graduated from the PA College
of Pharmacy and Science in
Philadelphia. (now called the
University of the Sciences).
The first was his grandfather,
Pasquale (Patrick) Fino, who
was originally from Philadelphia.
“My father and I went to my
father’s 50th reunion - there
were only two women in that
class - and my15th reunion. We
had some of the same teachers,
including the man who invented
Trident gum,” says the younger
Fino.
Michael Fino met his wife
Mary Beth while in pharmacy
school and they have three chil-
dren, Ava, Mia and Michael.
He tells the story of the man
who came in the pharmacy, put
his hat on the counter and asked
for a prescription for pink-eye. “I
gave him something for it but he
said, ‘No, this isn’t for me, it’s for
my cow.’ I told him it would take
a while to figure that one out.”
Serving the community for all
these years, the younger Fino
says. “It’s been humbling- the
community has been good to us
and we really appreciate it.”
A member of Gate of Heaven
Church and resident of Dallas and
married to Ruth Fino, Dom Fino
advises, “Don’t look back over
your shoulder, do the right thing,
just do what you think is right.”
That's been his mantra
through life. It seems to have
worked.
Submitted photo
Dominic Fino, pictured here in 1967, has owned and operated his family phar-
macy in the center of Dallas for 50 years.
Semi-retired pharmacist
and local business owner
Dominic Fino sits in the
second floor building of an
historic building he bought
50 years ago and recalls his
career in Dallas.
Photos by CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK | FOR THE
DALLAS POST
Walking in memory of Corey for a good cause Back Mountain Police
Participants in the Second Annual Corey Ehret
Walk walked in memory of Corey who lost his life
shortly after graduating from Dallas High School, for
the Mini Thon 4 Diamond Fund and for the Corey
Ehret Student of the Quarter Scholarship. The event,
Photos by BILL TARUTIS | FOR THE DALLAS POST
Partipants in the Corey Ehret Walk make their way to the stands at
Mountaineer Field.
sponsored by the Dallas High School Mini Thon
Club, allowed participants to purchase and launch
lanterns, along with luminary candles, in memory of
loved ones currently suffering or who have suffered
with cancer.
A photograph of Corey Ehret is displayed on a table as Dallas
Thon members sell paper lanterns.
SUSAN DENNEY
Association will collect coats
since beginning the projectin ~~ The group hasnt decided
Dallas Post Correspondent
Have the kids outgrown
last year’s coats? Or do you
have a closetful of hats and
gloves you don’t wear?
The Back Mountain Police
Association wants your
items. The group, which is
celebrating its 55th anniver-
sary, is looking for donations
to its annual Warm Coats for
Kids Drive.
The event will be held
from noon to 3 p.m. on
Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Back
Mountain Shopping Center
in Shavertown.
According to David
Dembowski, public relations
representative for the BMPA,
the group has collected and
given away over 1,000 coats
oF of
BACK MOUNTAIN BOWL
Sicilian Pizza + Wings
Hoagies and More!
IAL RECHT] 4
Memorial Hwy Dallas + 675-5026
ABOVE: Dallas Mini Thon mem-
ber Ashley Strazdus lights a
paper lantern on the track at
Mountaineer Field before the
start of the Second Annual
Corey Ehret Walk.
DARLING & SONS’
FARMS & GREENHOUSES
“Growing Quality Is A Family Business Since 1930”
Apples, Cornstalks, Straw Bales, Hot Peppers, Cauliflower,
Broccoli, Red Beets, Green Squash, Pickles, 50 Ib Bags of Potatoes,
Winter Squash, Tomatoes, McCutcheon’s Canned Goods
AccerTING FARM MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM CHECKS
M-F 9-5 « Sat & Sun 9-4 - (570)675-2080
! 1/2 mile off rt 309, Dallas, Hildebrandt Rd. (200 yds north of Dallas Elementary School)
(570) 822-8158'W
www.cwschultzandson.com
JFIREPUACE GA
“Your Most Complete Fireplace and Chimney Experts”
BCLEANING EBUILDING
Cleaning
TODAY!
BREPAIRING ERELINING
EB COMPLETE BRICK & STONE
FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION
PAL (VBS LUA RCE RTT 4 ETI TI TV
(Midway Between Tunkhannock & Dallas)
SYLVA LTV EY,
Placement /scholarship
test will be administered
Saturday, Dec. 14
at 8:40 a.m.
OPEN HOUSE
Sunday, Oct. 27
HOURS: Tues. 12-5 « Wed. - Fri. 10-5 Sat. 10-2
DELIVERY & INSTALLATION AVAILABLE
2009. Dembowski said that
coats, gloves, scarves and
hats are acceptable if they are
lightly used.
The Back Mountain Police
Association includes repre-
sentatives from not only local
police departments but also
from the state game commis-
sion, the fishing and boating
commission and the state
police. Since 2008, the group
has added community out-
reach programs to its activi-
ties.
yet which charitable orga-
nization will receive the
goods once they are sorted.
Dembowski said that differ-
ent charities have benefited
in the past.
Dembowski said that, in
spite of the recent nice weath-
er, there will soon be a need
for warm coats. This program
will get coats to those who
need them.
“There is poverty on
this side of the river, too,”
Dembowski added.
& 0
NAL CARE &@ SKILL pr, Nop
Providing Compassionate Care To SNe
You and Your Family
Call Today For A Tour At
# Mercy Center
675-2131 _
"Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy 3
www. moenu.org
16 Carverton Rd,
vid
a WUT: 127 37 Vel
...0N your way to a fabulou
Largest Selection of
Craft Beersinithe
Back Mou UETWACE :
KeTaYe EYAR'ILYe [Yk ENO ET amit olay)
LLC TEX EY
SUT EVA UP Ao 10)
SEIT EVA ETL
lola)
SYolqy
3700 Route 118, Dallas
Like us on Facebook and follow usion
ICAI EL EEN AVE Ee [Ei oA PEEL