20 YEARS AGO — 1998

Major Performing Arts Center, Carverton Rd., Trucksville, will hold an Open House on Monday from 5 to 9 p.m. The center offers classes to children two years to adults in tap, jazz, ballet, point, vocal, piano and theater, as well as daytime preschool programs, the Mom & Me Club, Friendship Club, Kinder Arts and Tots Tumbling. Staff of the center includes Amanda Meholochick, Vicki Tasselmeyer, Winter Rusoloski, Lauren Costanza, Carrie Thimot, Angela Martino, Wendy Henry, Debbie Zelinski, Cindy Millington, Kim Celusniak and Megan McAndrew.

The Showin’ Blue 4-H Club of Dallas recently presented the Back Mountain Memorial Library with a check for $100 to purchase a brick that will be installed on the library walkway. The club raised the money by collecting aluminum cans. Club members who presented the check to library director Martha Butler are: Megan Ross, Amanda Adamitz, Wendy Wallo, Jamie Laubenstein and Chelsea Andrews.

30 YEARS AGO — 1988

A fire last week at Harveys Lake destroyed Joe’s Grotto Pizza Bar, but owner Joe Paglianite says he will attempt to rebuild and be back in business by spring. Harveys Lake residents gathered to watch last Wednesday, September 7, as approximately 75 firefighters fought to contain the blaze. The fire was apparently caused by an electrical short from a coin operated vending machine, according to Harveys Lake Fire Chief John Martinson.

Rodney Major is the first local to win the Grand National 500 Open race for 4-wheelers. Major, who has been driving 4-wheelers for about one year, won the Grand National Championship in the 500 Open Amateur Class in Tennessee. The race was sponsored by Yamaha, the make Major was driving. Rodney is the son of Russ and Shirley Major of Sweet Valley.

“Chameleon Trail,” a new play written and directed by Dallas resident Dr. Robert Stetten, Associate Professor of Psychology at King’s College, will be premiered on Saturday, September 17 at 8 p.m. in the Darte Center for the Performing Arts on the corner of South and South River Streets. The performance, which was underwritten by a grant from Wilkes as a community-minded cultural activity, is open to the public free of charge.

40 YEARS AGO — 1978

The Harveys Lake Lions recently held their annual covered dish supper at Hanson Park. Guest of Honor was District 14H Governor Tom Morrow, with his wife Barbara. Also present was Deputy District Governor Tom Haggerty, and his wife Doris. Officers of the club are Joseph Red Jones, president; Bill Megargel, first vice president; Wilfred Ide, treasurer; Tom Yoniski, secretary; Frank Bialogowicz, financial secretary and Ed Kanasky, tail twister.

Elwood Whitesell of Dallas is eligible to win a free trip to Scotland and $1,000 as a result of scoring a hole-in-one at Eagles Mere Country Club. Whitesell’s ace qualified him for the 18th annual Rusty Nail Hole-in-One Sweepstakes, a national competition sponsored by the Drambuie Liqueur Company of Edinburg, Scotland. The winner will be announced early next year.

50 YEARS AGO — 1968

Few people in Dallas realized that Mayor Thomas Morgan was eighty years old. It came as a shock to them when they learned that he had died Saturday night at General Hospital, where he had been admitted a short time earlier. Thomas Hugh Morgan was appointed Burgess of Dallas ten years ago, following the unexpected death of Burgess Norti Berti. He was reelected at the end of his term of office.

Top honors have been received by Brian Beard, Church Street, Dallas, a Keystone winner in two National 4-H Award categories. The categories were in Leadership and Citizenship. He has also been selected in the Outstanding Pennsylvania 4-H Boy category, according to Carol Howes, Assistant State 4-H leader. Brian is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Ralph Beard, Dallas, a Senior at the Dallas High School, a member of the Cloverleaf 4-H Club for the past eight years, and a member of the Dallas Methodist Church.

60 YEARS AGO — 1958

A Dallas lad of seven, and one of eleven, placed in the quarter-midget races at Berwick on Labor Day. Both Drew Bittenbender and Chuck Stevens have been practicing at Dallas Open-Air Theatre track all summer. Drew, 7, and a second grader at Dallas Borough school, took second place in one of the 15-lap races. Chuck, 11, placed first in a 35-lap race and first in a 15-lapper.

A Dallas Air Reserve officer and his father are two of the best rifle shots on the North American continent. The officer, 1st Lt. Loren W. Samsel Jr., Overbrook Avenue, recently assigned to the 9543rd Air Reserve Squadron, Wilkes-Barre, came in twelfth in the grand aggregate of the National Small Bore Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, last month. His father, Loren W. Samsel Sr., also of Dallas, came in first in the Canadian National Small Bore Rifle Championships at Ottawa earlier that month.

Teachers in Pennsylvania will present the heaviest salary demands ever made, to the 1959 legislature, according to Harold J. Kotch, president of PSEA, representing 70,000 school teachers. He claims teachers should have a starting salary of approximately $4,600 a year, a hike of $1,200 over current salaries now in force, and $1,000 a year greater than mandated starting salaries for 1959-1960.

70 YEARS AGO — 1948

Miss Bettie Sullivan of Goss Manor, Dallas, has been engaged to introduce the new Commercial Department of Dallas Township High School. Miss Sullivan is a graduate of Misericordia College in 1946. With the addition of the Commercial Department to the course of study, the Lake Township School rounds out a complete program of studies including Vocational Home

Economics and Agriculture together with Practical Arts and all the subjects required by the State Department in the Junior High School.

Scores of exciting gifts, among them a Columbia bicycle valued at $60, a wool blanket of well- known brand, baskets of groceries and a large tiered cake made by Mrs. Millie Smith will be chanced off at the American Legion Carnival on the Oliver lot on Saturday evening between the hours of 10 and 11 o’clock. The carnival has been drawing large crowds every night this week. Bob Moore is general chairman.

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Compiled by Kim Rollman

For Dallas Post