Students enjoy a semi-formal at Dallas High School during the 2007-08 school year. The school will be demolished after a new high school is built. The new school is expected to open for the 2010-11 school year.

While covering a walking tour of Dallas High School on Saturday, I saw a Powerpoint presentation on the new Dallas High School. Superintendent Frank Galicki ushered participants into the stifling hot auditorium for a sneak peak of plans for the school. I’m going to share them with you.

Galicki began with a brief history on the current school, which opened in 1961. By the late 60s, district officials realized they needed more space. An addition, commonly known as “the senior wing,” was completed in 1968. Built for grades 10-12, ninth-graders were moved into the building in 1990.

“Our enrollment is growing,” Galicki said. “Our building is limited in its capacity. We are definitely overcrowded...this building is affectionately known as a money pit.”

It will cost approximately $45 million to build the new high school. Construction is expected to begin Dec. 26, 2008 and be completed in time for the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Plans for new high school call for a three-story state-of-the-art building. Up to 1200 students will be accommodated in the instructional areas and a maximum of 1400 will fit in the auditorium. Highlights include 65 classrooms, a TV station, roof garden and a dance studio. There will be built-in secure areas, metal detectors and infrared cameras that can examine the contents of backpacks. Interactive promethium boards will completely replace chalkboards. Each student will also eventually have his or her own laptop which will rid the school of textbooks.

The school will be built in the area of the current practice football field and will be parallel to Mountaineer Stadium. A blue storage facility behind the current high school will be demolished. The existing high school will also be destroyed once the new school opens.

Obviously, I have been following plans for the new school and I wasn’t truly impressed until I saw this presentation. While it will be sad for a school full of memories and history to be knocked down, I realize the new school is necessary (especially after I took the tour of the existing one) and I’m confident the new building will comfortably provide the students with the exceptional education they deserve while utilizing the latest technology.

Tom Harfman sits waiting for the start of the Red Sails Parade at Harveys Lake.

Fred adams/the times leader

I’ve been to Harveys Lake many times in my life, but for the very first time on Sunday night, I ventured out onto the lake in a boat. My boyfriend’s parents were kind enough to invite me along on their boat for a ride on the lake and to watch the Red Sails Parade.

In case you never heard of it, the Red Sails Parade features sailboats lit with red flares. Organized by the Harveys Lake Yacht Club, the parade has been held on Labor Day weekend for over 30 years. I’m told that years ago, closer to 20 sailboats participated in it. This year, only four took part. But that didn’t ruin the experience for me.

We started off by cruising around the lake before sunset. Even though it was still relatively warm outside, I quickly got cool from the breeze the boat created and put on my sweatshirt.

My boyfriend’s father anchored the boat facing Our Lady of Victory Church in anticipation of the fireworks display and we watched the parade go by. Many others also were out on the lake in motor boats to watch. I especially loved how one of the sailboats rang a bell (similar to a cow bell) that you would hear at a football game.

To our rear was a house with a lighted palm tree decoration. Either that house or one nearby had a spectacular sound system that blared 70s music. I thought disco was dead and was surprised and disappointed by the home’s musical selections that much of the lake could hear.

But once the fireworks began, the 70s music was replaced by patriotic songs such as “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “God Bless America” and “Proud to be an American.” Although the system malfunctioned momentarily several times, the patriotic songs were a nice touch to the beautiful fireworks that blasted in the sky over the church. Thank you to whoever provided the music.

I didn’t realize how cold I really was until we were leaving and got in the car. But I didn’t care. I had fun.

 

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.

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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