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Trick-or-Treat! It’s Halloween and when the sun goes down, hundreds of children will scour the neighborhoods of the Back Mountain in search of candy and other treats.

Sadly, my Trick-or-Treat days are over. I didn’t give the tradition up until age 17 because I loved it so much.

We don’t get many Trick-or-Treaters in my quiet neighborhood, but my sister Alyssa filled a candy dish on Sunday for any who do show up. I already ate most of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Alyssa’s going shopping this afternoon to replenish our supply.

Alyssa was talking about our candy supply when she mentioned that she opted not to buy a mixed bag of “junky” candy such as Tootsie Rolls, Sweet Tarts and Jujubes. We reminisced about how we hated getting that junk from people when we went Trick-or-Treating.

Don’t get me wrong, we were thankful people were kind enough to open their doors and hand us free candy. But we skipped right over the Smarties and lollipops for Milky Ways, Kit Kats, M&Ms and Three Musketeers. Most of the junk was left over from each of our candy bags weeks after Halloween and was eventually transferred into a communal family candy bowl.

When I was a teenager, my friends and I purposely targeted high-end housing developments for Trick-or-Treating. Word quickly spread among the older children as to which houses were distributing full-size candy bars or $1 bills.

While we won’t be giving out any full-size candy bars tonight (I would if I had the money to do so), all ghosts or goblins who visit can pick out several fun-size chocolate bars or Reese’s Cups, if there are any left by then.

I’ll be heading to the gym tomorrow to burn off the few pieces of chocolate I do eat tonight. Whatever happened to being 10 years old, eating half a Trick-or-Treat bag of candy and not gaining an ounce?

Have a happy and safe Halloween!
 

It’s official: winter has begun.

I’ve been told the white stuff is falling in the Back Mountain. Although I haven’t been out there today, I believe it. Other places in higher elevations including Mountain Top got lots of heavy, wet snow. It’s said that Bear Creek received about eight inches of snow. Thankfully, we’re only getting rain in Wilkes-Barre.

Maybe Mother Nature drank too much last night and forgot what time of year it is, but the last time I checked, it’s still October. And yet, it’s already snowing in northeast Pennsylvania.

As a lifelong resident of the area, I’m certainly used to the cold and snow. But I can’t ever remember it snowing more than a quick flurry in October, except for “that one” Halloween.

“That one” Halloween was Oct. 31, 1993. I won’t tell you how old I was, but I was young enough to go Trick-or-Treating. If you asked me what I was supposed to be in front of my parents, it was a dancer. But if you asked me on the side, I would have told you I was a babe. I was wearing a sleeveless red and gold sequined costume from a dance recital in June. My mother made me put a white turtleneck underneath the costume and I felt that it ruined it. I would soon find out why she insisted I wear it.

It was chilly but bearable for our parade around my elementary school during the early afternoon. But by the time I finished eating dinner and had my plastic pumpkin in hand to go collecting candy, it was freezing!

My sister and I went Trick-or-Treating with our parents and didn’t last very long. The wind was whipping and snowflakes were beginning to fall. We went inside and ate the little candy we received while watching the weather from the window. My brother came home from Trick-or-Treating with his friends about two hours later and as I remember it, the snow was sticking and accumulating.

Earlier in the year was the Blizzard of 93, or as I like to say, the blizzard that ruined my birthday. The storm caused my roller skating party to be cancelled and rescheduled for two weeks later. I was not happy.

I hope an early bout with winter doesn’t mean we’re destined to an extremely cold, snowy and miserable next couple of months. Even though I don’t like winter, if you have weather photos of today’s snow that you’d like to share on our Web site, send them to rbria@timesleader.com. Stay warm!

10/24/08-- Lehman quarterback Nate Volkel runs toward the sideline in Friday's high school football game against GAR at Lake-Lehman. (PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER)

PGW

A football game of two rival teams is always exciting, especially when those teams are Dallas and Lake-Lehman.

The two Back Mountain varsity football teams will face off in the 61st Annual Old Shoe Game at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Mountaineer Stadium.

The Old Shoe Game is played the very last game of the regular season. But it wasn’t always that way. Times Leader Assistant Sports Editor Dave Konopki tells me the game used to be held on Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, I don’t know when the Turkey Day tradition changed. I also have no idea why the game is called the “Old Shoe Game.” Maybe one of you could shed some light.

A September 30 article called, “Supper Club, Courage Bowl and Old Shoes” by Gordie Jones on ESPNRISE.com mentions the annual Dallas vs. Lake-Lehman football game. According to the article, another yearly Old Shoe Game is also held between Muncy and Montgomery in the north central region of Pennsylvania.

In preparation for the Old Shoe Game, Dallas High School is holding a “Beat Lehman Bonfire” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the high school parking lot.

Lake-Lehman Junior/Senior High School is having an entire school week of festivities called “Dallas Week” to promote school spirit prior to the game. Students are encouraged to dress according to each day’s theme, which are as follows: today (Monday) – “Twin Day”; Tuesday- “Hick Day”; Wednesday- “Tye-Dye Day”; Thursday- “Black-Out Day”; and Friday- “Halloween Costume Day” (with no masks).

On Thursday, Lake-Lehman will hold an in-school pep rally at 1:45 p.m. in the new gym. There will also be a bonfire from 6 to 8 p.m. outside of the school.

I’m not going to choose a winner because I think that would be unfair of me to do. After all, I cover both schools. But I will provide you with each team’s record so far this year from the PIAA District 2 Web site.

Lake-Lehman: 8-1. The Black Knights lost for the first time last weekend 21-15 against GAR. The team’s current points are 940 and their average is 104.4.
Dallas: 2-7. The Mountaineers most recently played Berwick and lost 35-6. The team’s current points are 250 and their average is 27.8.

Good luck to both teams! I hope the day brings beautiful weather, and more importantly, lots of fun.

The chocolate pudding cake was a hit at The Best of the Back Mountain 2008 Readers Choice Awards Reception on Tuesday at Fire & Ice.

Charlotte Bartizek

It came so fast that I can’t believe it’s already over.

The Dallas Post’s very first The Best of the Back Mountain 2008 Readers Choice Awards Reception was held on Tuesday night at Fire & Ice on Toby Creek in Trucksville.

It’s possible you’re wondering what exactly The Best of the Back Mountain is. In case you don’t know, it is a reader’s choice contest The Dallas Post opened up to readers of our newspaper and our mother paper, The Times Leader. Voter ballots ran periodically in both newspapers and voting was also available online at our Web site, www.mydallaspost.com. Everyone who voted had the chance to be randomly selected to win $100.

There were 79 categories in areas from best local professor to best place for a first date. However, due to three ties, there were a total of 82 winners. Winners and their guests were invited to attend the awards reception on Tuesday. Each winner received a plaque and a window decal.

To see our complete list of winners and who they are, make sure to pick up The Dallas Post this Sunday, Oct. 26. You’ll also find out who the lucky $100 winner is.

I had the pleasure of mingling with the winners at the reception. Many faces were very familiar and others I got to see for the first time. I always enjoy getting to know more people in the Back Mountain.

Perhaps one of the biggest hits of the evening was the pierogi pizza, which is sometimes referred to as pagash. Fire & Ice staff did a great job of keeping it steadily coming out despite the high demand for it. If it’s hard to picture, think of it like this: mashed potatoes, onions, and gooey cheese on fresh dough. I’m told the pierogi pizza is a new rotating item on the menu at Fire & Ice. Be sure to check it out.

The bartender, whose name I neglected to get, also did a fantastic job. She was very knowledgeable and had a great, upbeat personality. I was impressed.

The contest was very successful thanks to the hard work from all those involved. In fact, it was so successful that we hope to do it again next year.

So if you didn’t win this year, it’s not too late. You could be the best high school female athlete in The Best of the Back Mountain 2009.

Congratulations to all of our winners!
 

FOR THE DALLAS POST/CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Kimberly Kirk, of Dallas, his written a book about her journey with breast cancer and God.

Charlotte Bartizek

She was just as I expected her to be.

When Kimberly Kirk walked into the Shavertown Starbucks, she was all smiles. Kirk wore a breast awareness cancer pin and bracelet and a pink ribbon magnet was affixed to her vehicle.

The Dallas woman was meeting me for an interview about her new book, “The Journey: A Testimony of God’s Faithfulness Through My Battle With Breast Cancer.” I ordered a hot chocolate, she a green tea iced drink, and we sat down to talk.

At just 43 years old, Kirk, a wife and mother of two, was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. Kirk was scared, so she turned to what and who she knew- writing, family and friends, and God.

Kirk’s book on her fight with breast cancer is comprised of e-mails she sent to her prayer team, which started out with 20 people and soon grew to 100 members. It entails her fight with the disease, but more importantly, her relationship with God throughout her battle.

I felt very comfortable talking to Kirk and was glad to discover her cancer is in remission. It wasn’t hard to see why she had such a strong support network. She’s a likeable person. In fact, when I looked at Kirk, I saw my own mom. She probably realized that after she complimented the pink ribbon pinned to my jacket.

The ribbon I wear is in support of my mother who passed away from breast cancer at age 54 on Mother’s Day in 2006. She was originally diagnosed with the disease at 41 years old. And like Kirk, mom kept her spirits high and her faith in God. It is the same faith that got me through her sickness and death and promises me that I will be reunited with her again one day, and the same faith that guided Kirk through her illness and continues to help her push forward.

“I want you to have this,” Kirk said to me as she handed me a copy of her book. Unable to keep it, I accepted it under one condition.

“I’ll use it to help me in my story and later on I’ll read it,” I told Kirk. “And then I’ll pass it on.”

Pleased, Kirk reiterated that helping others is exactly what she wants to do.

“This is my journey and I want that to encourage others and direct them to the Lord,” she said during the interview. “My goal is not to sell books. I just hope God puts the book in the hands of someone who wants it.”

 

 

About the Author

Rebecca Bria has been reporting for The Dallas Post since June of 2007. She is a 2007 graduate of Wilkes University and previously interned with the company at The Weekender and The Times Leader.

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