TimesLeader.com

Memories shared

With the help of Carol Sweeney, publicity chairperson for the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction, The Dallas Post staff has compiled favorite memories of the auction from longtime volunteers.

“We’d like to invite YOU to come to the auction and make your own memories. These are the ‘good ole’ days,’” Sweeney said.

“Besides sitting under the tree and attending the auctions at the Lehman Street site, I would say that the 1972 auction had to be the one; it was postponed until October because of the Agnes flood. The turnout was up to par, but the weather did not cooperate: Cold with snow flurries to deal with. But aside from that, we fared well.”

Ernest Ashbridge

“My favorite auction memory is the year that I was bidding on an item and hoping I had enough money with me to pay for it if I was the successful bidder. The item cost me $120 and I used all my money and our food money, but I still love this piece.”

Leslie Horoshko

“The year after we moved to Northeast PA (19 years ago), my husband volunteered me to help at the plant booth. I volunteered, not knowing the difference between a perennial and a shrub. While our 1-year-old slept on a blanket in the grass at the back of the tent, our two other children helped water and carry plants and entertained themselves with auction activities.”

Nadine Young

“Our children always enjoyed trying to win a goldfish at the ping-pong ball toss game. One year my son won two fish. We bought a small fish bowl at the Odds ’n Ends tent and hoped they would make it through the summer. They survived and grew bigger in five increasingly larger fish tanks through the next 13 years.”

Lou Ellen Zekas

“I will never forget the auction in July 2000. I happened to be at a restaurant in Wilkes-Barre with a friend of mine who offered to introduce me to the ‘Lane’ twins (Gary and Larry) who hailed from North Carolina. The model-actors appeared in Mel Gibson’s movie, ‘The Patriot!’ In one of their many scenes they carry the patriot flag into battle. After chatting for awhile with Gary and Larry, I asked them if they would be willing to make a local appearance for a ‘good cause.’ Without missing a beat, in unison the twins both answere, ‘Yes, Joyce, we would be happy to appear on the auction block on Saturday evening July 8, 2000!’ As the twins walked around the grounds with me that evening signing autographs, I was very proud!”

Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt

“Back in the late 90’s I was fortunate enough to be able to secure the appearance of the Chicago Bulls’ basketball player Bill Wennington! I remember having butterflies in my stomach when I saw Bill’s vehicle pulling into the auction grounds and as he and his wife and young son stepped out of their vehicle. Bill was seven feet tall! As I escorted the three of them onto the grounds, people were swarming around him to get his autograph or a photo with him! Soon it was time for me to go on stage and introduce Bill. As he proceeded to come up on stage, the large crowd welcomed Bill with loud applause. As I stood by, he then autographed the brand new basketballs which would be auctioned off within that next hour. After we left the stage, Bill and I walked around the grounds for a bit and he continued signing autographs and posing for photos until such time when he joined his wife and son and they all enjoyed creating a Sand Art together. What a pleasure it was to meet a wonderful family like the Wenningtons from Harveys Lake!”

Joyce Dombroski-Gebhardt

“The library used to solicit items from celebrities for the auction. One year they had a tie from Gerald Ford when he was speaker of the house. This was a kind of comical tie. It was a wide tie, probably about 10 or 12 inches wide. It was red, white and blue with stars and stripes. We bought it and had it in a box with a letter from Gerald Ford for about 25 years. We were going to move back down here and I didn’t know what we would do with that thing when I remembered of a friend of ours (David Bottomley) from England was becoming a citizen. We gave it to him as a citizen and he wore it to his naturalization ceremony.”

Nancy Dingman