Members of the Gate of Heaven bazaar planning committee, from left, first row are: Pat Conlin, Tom Finarelli, co-chairman; the Rev. Kevin Mulhern, pastor; Bill Martin, co-chairman; Maureen Leahigh and Joe Canfield. Second row: Betti Gillespie, Lucille Luksic, Peg Canfield, Renee Benedetti, Linda Scholl and Drew Regan.

Tonight is the opening of the 14th Annual Gate of Heaven Church Bazaar. The bazaar will be held rain or shine and runs from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight and Friday, and 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday on the church grounds at 40 Machell Avenue in Dallas.

Games for all ages, prizes, a cash bingo, theme baskets, Aunt Sally’s Boutique, The Book Nook, refreshments, homemade foods, baked goods and gourmet coffee with a sweets corner are planned. There will be entertainment and a cash raffle to be drawn at 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Be sure to get there and say hi to Reverend Kevin Mulhern, pastor of Gate of Heaven, and all your Back Mountain friends.

In my opinion, the bazaar is the unofficial kickoff to the festival season in the Back Mountain.

We can look forward to the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction in July. Don’t forget the Harveys Lake Homecoming in August. And in September, we are treated to both the Luzerne County Fair and the Dallas Harvest Festival.

What’s your favorite Back Mountain summer event? The fair is my favorite because I love to look at the biggest pumpkins and squash, paintings and baked good entries. There are also rides, games and plenty of food. Last year one vendor was even selling corn on the cob dipped in butter. Mmmm. The Lake-Lehman Marching Band Parents also hold a food stand every year where you can get a variety of food for a decent price. You can’t go wrong.

As an update to my blog entry yesterday, I am happy to report I did see the moon last night. It seemed slightly larger than normal to me, but what I really noticed was how luminous it was. At 1 a.m. (yes, I was still up!) I couldn’t even look at it for long before my eyes hurt. When I finally went to bed, the moon was shining brightly in my side bedroom window. *Grumble* *Roll over*

One more day until the weekend!

Did you hear? The full moon is supposed to look larger than normal tonight.

An article by Robert Roy Britt from Live Science that is posted on AOL News today explains that tonight’s moon will seem bigger than usual because it’s two days before the summer solstice, when the sun is at the highest point in the sky. The large appearance of the moon is an optical illusion.

My favorite time to look at the moon is the Harvest Moon, or the first full moon after the initial fall frost. The Harvest Moon, which usually occurs shortly after the start of autumn, is my start to the Halloween season. This moon looks extra big, bright and almost eerie to me. Add in a chilly breeze and a few clouds and I feel like if I look up for long enough, I might see a witch fly by on her broomstick. And I’m not talking about the woman I encountered last week who thought I had a stop sign when I didn’t and shouted at me for not stopping.

I have fond childhood memories of my mother calling me outside to look at astrological events such as this. Whether it was a solar eclipse where I was instructed not to look directly at the sun, or a special alignment of Mars and Venus, she would have me take a peek. I even recall seeing several shooting stars with her on an August night over 10 years ago.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Web site says in Dallas, Pa., the moon will rise at 9:08 p.m. and set at 4:58 a.m. on Thursday morning.

The Weather Channel calls for showers early and mainly clouds after midnight. As I write this, hail and heavy rain are pounding against the asphalt outside of the office. Hopefully it will clear up enough for you to see the big moon.

 

“What’s today?”
“October?”

Kudos to you if you know I’m quoting the movie Billy Madison. I love Adam Sandler.

Doesn’t it feel like October today? It’s dreary, drizzling and cool. Yuck. So much for it almost being summer. The Lake-Lehman students still stuck in school had nicer weather when they were off in October.

If you’re looking for something to do besides the usual movie or board game, stop by the Back Mountain Memorial Library.

The children’s summer reading program officially began on Monday and runs through August 14. Children can register this Wednesday through Thursday at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 6 p.m.; and at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27. Children attending one of these special registration times, can fill out a game card, decorate a bug jar, play Bug Bingo and learn about summer reading programs. Anyone who cannot register at one of these times may register at the library during regular hours.
 
And don’t forget about the library if you are an adult. Bring your laptop and enjoy free WiFi internet. Or curl up with a good book. They have plenty of new releases including “Audition: A Memoir” by Barbara Walters, “Traveling with Your Pet: The AAA Petbook,” and “White House Ghosts” by Robert Schlesinger. You can read new book release listings from the library each month in The Dallas Post.

What’s your favorite gloomy weather/rainy day activity? Send me an e-mail at rbria@timesleader.com and I’ll share it with readers.

I know I'm lucky to sit near Mike McGinley!

I was catching up on some much needed rest Saturday afternoon when I received a very pleasant phone call. I won the massage raffle at the Meadows Nursing Center Auxiliary’s Annual Market on the Pond that was held Saturday.

I’m not the luckiest person in life and love. But when it comes to contests, watch out. I’m the girl who puts in one raffle ticket and wins when you spent $30 in chances.

As a kindergartener, I was a runner-up in a Sesame Street contest through WVIA-TV. In first-grade, I took first place in a JcPenney’s contest and won a Power Wheels Jeep. Since then, I’ve won many concert tickets, instant bingo games and miscellaneous prizes.

And on the occasional visit to the casino, my friends usually get jealous because I always end up with more money than I initially had (although once I win even the smallest amount of money, I cash out).

What do you think? Is there such a thing called luck? If so, how do you experience it? My friend Sarah believes she goes through stages. She feels lucky for weeks at a time and then she will have stages of bad luck or normalcy. I believe my luck balances out among unlucky times and events.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be in the Back Mountain doing our weekly “Man on the Street” feature. Maybe if you’re lucky, I will choose you. I’m also going to pick up my massage certificate and schedule the appointment. I’ll let you know how the massage goes.

 

A state trooper hugs a woman at the scene of a fatal shooting in Jackson Township Thursday evening.

Aimee Dilger/The Times Leader

How about the shooting last evening in Jackson Township?

When I first heard about it, my initial thoughts were that murder doesn’t occur in the Back Mountain. But the truth is murder doesn’t escape any town.

Think back to January 2007. Gay porn producer Bryan Kocis was found dead by firefighters in his burning Dallas Township home. Industry rivals allegedly stabbed and killed Kocis and then set his home ablaze.

Remember Jeff Dennis? He is a former Dallas Township police officer who was convicted of first-degree murder in October of 2007 for shooting his 30-year-old wife, Carli, once in the head in February 2006 inside the couple’s Wyoming residence.

And then there is Hugo Selenski. Cops say they found several bodies on his Kingston Township property in 2003.

In all of these instances, however, the victims and perpetrators either knew each other or presumably did. So I assure you I still feel safe walking the Back Mountain Trail or eating lunch at Frances Slocum. You should feel safe in the Back Mountain, too.

Two quick notes:

If you’re looking for something to do on Saturday, visit "Market on the Pond" at the Meadows Nursing Center. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are 110 vendors and even a gas gift card raffle. I bought raffle tickets for a massage. Be sure to say hi to Betty Sorchik, Marilyn Gregorski and all the fine Meadows volunteers and staff.

Also, I wish a very happy Father’s Day to Skip Sensbach of Dallas. Skip donated one of his kidneys to his father this past year. He’s also a father himself.

See you on Monday!

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.

Categories

Archives

• September 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008