Dallas High School cheerleader Kailey Peters cheers the Mountaineers on during their 2007 season opener against Coughlin.

Left: Dallas High School Marching Band members Anthony Roppa, left, and Kevin Barry play their instruments during the 2008 Memorial Day ceremony.

It’s hard to believe, but the 2008 high school football season is already here. Lake-Lehman kicks off their season at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 29 when they welcome Hanover Area at the Edwards H. Edwards Stadium. The first game for Dallas is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 30 at home, Mountaineer Stadium, where they will take on Williamsport.

The players on both the Dallas and Lake-Lehman teams work hard year round to be the best they can be. But let’s not forget about the others who make the game- the marching bands, cheerleaders and fans.

Lake-Lehman has had a renowned marching band for years, capturing the title of Atlantic Coast Champions nine times. This year, Dallas is emerging with a new and improved marching band that promises to provide spectacular field shows. Under the direction of David Smith, the band will take a break from competition to focus only on field shows in an attempt to build itself up.

My mother played in the Coughlin High School marching band years ago. She didn’t know a thing about football, but when I was a kid, she went along with us to high school football games just for the band. I remember her tapping her foot along to the beat of the music and I pictured her playing her glockenspiel back in the 1960s.

Then there are the cheerleaders. It may seem that cheerleaders have an easy job, but any cheerleader will tell you it’s a lot harder than you think. Modern cheerleading involves a lot of gymnastic skills which are perfected only through practice. These girls put in a lot of time and are leaders of school spirit. Like other school athletes, they have to keep their grades up and must act in a manner that positively reflects the school and the uniforms they wear.

And of course, what would a football game be without all the fans? I can’t imagine the football team giving it their all with just a few people in the stands. They depend on fellow students, parents, teachers, administrators and members of the community to cheer them on.

So come on out this season and support EVERYONE it takes to make a football game a success.

A person runs along the Back Mountain Trail.

A gloomy Monday is tough, but it’s a small price to pay for the gorgeous weather we had over the weekend. My boyfriend Shane and I took a walk through the woods on Saturday and enjoyed our surroundings.

On Sunday, we decided to hike to the top of the waterfall on the Back Mountain Trail. On our way to the waterfall, we took in the sights of the trail. Many people were out and about running, riding bikes, or just walking leisurely. We encountered two frogs swimming in water along the path, yellow and orange butterflies and a variety of wildflowers. A chipmunk also ran by and scurried into the brush.

I noticed new pine trees have been planted along the trail. This is a welcome sight and I wish more trees would be planted in the open, sunny areas of the trail. The bench should also be painted or cleaned because unfortunately, people wrote on it over the years.

Right as we approached the waterfall, we saw our friend Sue running toward us. She joined us in our trek up the waterfall. I didn’t realize how little rain we’ve gotten lately until I saw how parched the waterfall was. Rocks and areas that are normally covered in flowing water were completely dry. It was much easier to go up without all of the water, but it wasn’t nearly as pretty. I was really hot and I struggled to find enough falling water to dip my head under to cool off. But I found some and was refreshed.

Near the top we found blueberry bushes. Many of the blueberries were shriveled but we found enough to pick and eat. They were so fresh and delicious even though they could have been juicier.

If you’ve never been to the Back Mountain Trail, you really need to go. You can access the trail from Cliffside Road in Trucksville (near Carverton Road) or behind the Knights of Columbus in Luzerne. I’d love to know what you think of the trail or what your favorite aspect of it is.

Construction recently began on the new skate park in Newton Township. If a similar park were built in the Back Mountain, it could give many area children something to do.

Vandals recently hit both Kenneth A. Young Memorial Park and Bicentennial Park in Dallas Borough. Benches were knocked over and used as skateboard ramps, restrooms were sprayed with paintballs and lights were smashed.

In response to the vandalism, borough council plans to install new park rules signs. The rules include the ban of pets, alcohol, tobacco and skateboarding and park hours of 9 a.m. to dusk.

The signs sound great, but they don’t address the underlying problem of why vandals targeted the parks – they don’t know what else to do.

Based on the fact that benches were converted to skateboard ramps, I presume the offenders were youths. I’m not trying to stereotype. It wasn’t long ago at all that I was a teenager, so I remember what it’s like. And that’s why I know these kids are just plain BORED.

It’s hard being 12 to 16 years old. This age group is old enough to want to hang out with their friends and do things on their own, but they are not yet able to drive. Sports and other activities can help keep them busy, but they will still want to socialize, and without their parents.

A rural area such as Dallas especially brings about challenges for things to do at a young age. Going to the mall, movies and shopping requires a ride from mom or dad. That’s why it’s not surprising to me that neighborhood children end up walking around the streets and in the woods.

My suggestion is to give this age group something to do locally on a regular basis. Maybe the library or borough can have a teen dance on their grounds. Or why not build a skateboard park and special teen area in the Back Mountain? Funding for such activities can be obtained through various grants, private businesses and parents in the community.

I would have loved for something to do when I was 13 and 14. Even though I played field hockey at school and was a candy striper at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, I wanted to go places with my friends. Basically, I was that annoying kid who sat behind you at the movies or ran past you in the Wyoming Valley Mall. However, I did enjoy school dances which were held about three times a year, and dances at the Catholic Youth Center.
 
Whoever desecrated the parks in Dallas was wrong and should be punished for it. I’m not condoning vandalism. But if the community works together and talks to this age group about their needs and wants, perhaps everyone could live a little bit happier.

Have you heard about the new contest from The Dallas Post called “Best of the Back Mountain?”

Here’s your chance to vote for everything from your favorite new restaurant to insurance agent. The readers choice awards will allow entrants to vote for their favorite Back Mountain business in 75 different categories. And everyone who enters has the chance to win $100.

I spent much of my morning today driving around and dropping off voting boxes.

Here are the current locations where you can vote:
Back Mountain Memorial Library, Dallas
Grotto Pizza, Harveys Lake
Ochman’s Coins and Jewelry, Dallas
Fire and Ice on Toby’s Creek, Trucksville
Asaki Hibachi and Sushi, Shavertown
Wayne’s World, Dallas
Starbucks, Shavertown
Bagel Art, Dallas
The Lands at Hillside Farms, Trucksville
Red Rooster Pancake House and Family Restaurant, Hunlock Creek

A voting ballot will run in each week’s edition of The Dallas Post and periodically in The Times Leader. Or, you can vote online at www.mydallaspost.com. Votes will be accepted until September 25. 

Students at Lake-Lehman High School and Dallas High School will also have the opportunity to vote in school when they return from summer vacation. It’s especially important that high school students vote because we have categories including high school sports team, high school sports coach, high school male athlete, high school female athlete and high school teacher.

Be sure to vote for the “Best of the Back Mountain 2008 Readers Choice Awards.” Will you be No. 1?

Elizabeth Prater, 103, of Plymouth Township, passed away on Tuesday. Prater taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Idetown during the 1924-25 school year. Only one to three children were in a grade and Prater taught all of the grades. The students sat on a long bench, similar to a church pew, and each had a slate on which they wrote with chalk. A pot belly stove heated the room. Water was accessible only from a pump outside and students had to use an outhouse.

CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/FOR THE DALLAS POST

You may remember a story I wrote in early May about Elizabeth Prater, a 103-year-old woman who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Idetown during the 1924-25 school year.

I’m sad to say Prater passed away on Tuesday.

Prater moved in with her son, John, and daughter-in-law, Ingrid, in their Plymouth Township home in March of 2002. That was the site for my interview with her. From the moment I arrived at the house, I couldn’t believe Prater was 103! Even though she could no longer walk and relied on her hearing aids, she looked like a woman in her late 70s or early 80s. That might still sound pretty old, but that’s a 20 to 30-year difference less than her real age.

At 103, she was still knitting, mending, doing crossword puzzles, keeping a daily diary and writing letters to her other two children who live out of town. She also was not a smoker or a drinker. And I must say that Prater’s mind was definitely sharp.

The Forty Fort native was able to tell me about her year at the Idetown schoolhouse, to which she commuted via trolley and foot. She remembers having a room of children in grades kindergarten through eight. Only one to three students were in each grade and they all sat across a long bench similar to a church pew. Each child had a slate they wrote on with chalk.

The room was heated by a pot-belly stove and water was only accessible from a pump outside. If someone had to go to the bathroom, he or she had to use the outhouse. But the kids were used to being in the cold. They all walked to school, some from as far away as Harveys Lake. Prater would make the children sit in front of the fire and rub theirs hands until they became warm.

Prater also vividly remembered how she and the children all drank water from the same dipper in the same bucket. She said it didn’t kill any of them and laughed about how people carry their own water bottles today and won’t even drink water from the kitchen faucet.

And if teachers today think they get paid unjustly, consider this: Prater’s pay for the entire 1924-25 school year was a mere $900. The following school year, Prater was hired at Fort Street Elementary School in Forty Fort where she taught for two years until she got married. At that time, married women were not allowed to teach in the Forty Fort School District. That just boggles my mind. Years later, the rule was changed and Prater returned to teaching in Forty Fort.

Thankfully, I had the chance to tell Prater’s story before it was too late. I’m glad I got to meet her and judging from her sweet personality, I’m sure she is in a better place. I give my deepest condolences to her family.

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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