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PLAINS TOWNSHIP
Zumbathon to aid children
Danko’s Fitness Center in Plains Township is sponsoring its third annual Zumbathon on Saturday. The event is being held to raise money for the Commission on Economic Opportunities Dinners for Kids, which provides nutritious meals to needy children. The Dinners for Kids nonprofit program was founded by David Tevet, owner of Ollie’s Restaurant, Edwardsville. Tevet The event will be held at Danko’s, 3 N. River St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include six Zumba instructors, basket raffles and food. All proceeds from a $10 donation will go to Dinners for Kids. For more information, call Danko’s at 570-270-4404 or visit www.dinnersforkids.org. WILKES-BARRE
Fundraiser honors student
James M. Coughlin High School student Courtney Hafner will host a Bowling for Alex fundraiser at Chacko’s Family Bowling Center, 195 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Aug. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. The event is being held in memory of Gary Lukasiewicz, a Riverside High School senior and class president who died May 19 after a two-year battle with cancer. Lukasiewicz Proceeds will benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a charity funding childhood cancer research. The fundraiser will include bowling, shoe rental, pizza, soda and prizes. To register for the event or make a donation, contact Courtney Hafner at 570824-6803 orhafner96@hotmail.com.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012 PAGE 3A
LOCAL
Memories of Korean War still vivid “The Korean War made a lasting impact on world history.”
Veterans and others mark 59th anniversary of the end of the Korean War with ceremony.
surrounded Gaylets’ unit and immediately sent the survivors of the attack marching toward the prison camp where he would spend the next 30 months of his life. “Moving up on the march for three months, the only Maj. Gen. (retired) Joseph thing we ate was what Perugino we found on the Pa. National ground,” Gaylets said. Guard “And thank God there was rain because that’s the only thing we drank, was the puddles.” BILL TARUTIS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER The 2 1/2 years of misery Gaylets endured in Camp 1 near the Korean/ Members of Dupont VFW Post 4909 salute the flag during the Pledge of Alle-
By MATT HUGHES mhughes@timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – U.S. Army Combat Engineer Tom Gaylets of Old Forge was two hours from returning home from the Korean War when he was captured on May 17, 1951. His commander told him the preceding day that he would depart at 7 a.m., ending a seven-month deployment on the war’s front lines. “He said, ‘Tomorrow at 7 o’clock, I’ll be up; I’ll replace you,’ ” Gaylets said. “‘I’ve got your orders in my hand.’ ” An attack by the Chinese army changed all that. At 5 a.m. the enemy See KOREA, Page 9A
giance at a ceremony marking the 59th anniversary of the end of the Korean War at the Luzerne County Courthouse on Saturday morning.
M I LT O N H E R S H E Y S C H O O L
Sweet opportunity
Tornado was cause of damage Twister with 95 to 100 mph winds hit part of Foster Township on Thursday, the National Weather Service said.
HANOVER TWP.
Victim treated at hospital
A male pedestrian was treated at a hospital following a hit-and-run accident early Saturday morning in the parking lot of McDonald’s off the Sans Souci Parkway, according to Hanover Township police. Police said the pedestrian and the male driver of an older model green or black vehicle with a hatchback were involved in an argument in the restaurant parking lot at approximately 1:50 a.m. The driver of the green or black vehicle then struck the pedestrian with his vehicle and fled south along the Sans Souci Parkway, according to police. The pedestrian was transported by Hanover Township ambulance to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for treatment. Police did not release his name. Police are searching for the driver and a white female passenger in the vehicle that struck the pedestrian. Police described the driver as a white male with long red hair and red facial hair. The vehicle’s license plate possibly contained the numbers 1522, police said. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Hanover Township police at 825-1269. HARRISBURG
Grant deadline approaches
Students planning to apply for state grants to attend a community college must do so by Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency noted in an advisory released this week. First time applicants enrolled in two year programs at business, trade or technical schools, as well as those enrolled in two year programs at fouryear schools, must fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and a State Grant Form. Forms are available online at PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.gov. The SGF is required only for firsttime applicants. Students who submitted a FAFSA without the SGF should visit “Account Access” through the Secure Sign-in at PHEAA.org to fill out the state form. Students can get updated information on financial aid nights, deadlines and tips by joining PHEAA on Facebook: facebook.com/pheaa.aid.
PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER
A tornado damaged this building at the Citterio USA meat-processing plant in Freeland on Thursday.
By JERRY LYNOTT jlynott@timesleader.com FRED ADAMS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Alexa Dunaj, 12, gets some information about Milton Hershey School from admissions counselor Stacey Spangenburg.
Providing skills for low-income children By ANDREW M. SEDER aseder@timesleader.com
NANTICOKE – Ed Tolodzieski wants his daughter Cassandra to make something of her life. And the best opportunity for that to happen, he believes, is 100 miles away. Cassandra, 11, will soon head to the Milton Hershey School, a century-old institution founded INSIDE: A look by its namesake that at the school offers educational that chocolate and skill training opbuilt. Page 10A portunities to children from low-income families. The schooling is free, as are room and board, clothing, medical and dental care and more. It’s all paid for from the trust set up by the chocolate maker and his wife shortly after the school opened in1909 and that has now grown to $8.5 billion. “To get her out of the projects, she’ll get the education she needs,” said Tolodzieski. “She has a great opportunity down there.” Sitting inside Antonio’s Pizza and
FRED ADAMS/FOR THE TIMES LEADER
Four local girls have been enrolled at the Milton Hershey School. From left are Alexa Dunaj, Miranda Park, Jovina Munoz and Cassandra Tolodzieski.
Subs along East Main Street in Nanticoke, Cassandra and three other Nanticoke girls, each wearing Aeropostale tshirts, ate pizza and listened to school admissions counselor Stacey Spangenburg.
She explained school policies, expectations and offerings, answered questions and told the students that while they’re making a big commitSee SCHOOL, Page 10A
WILKES-BARRE – The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado briefly touched down in Foster Township during Thursday’s severe thunderstorms, damaging buildings and uprooting trees. The EF1-rated tornado with wind speeds between 95 and 100 mph occurred around 5:40 p.m. south of Freeland and had a short path one tenth of mile long and 75 yards wide, the NWS said Saturday. It occurred during a tornado warning issued for southern Luzerne County. The tornado destroyed a storage building owned by the Citterio USA meat processing plant and windblown debris penetrated several other locations including the roof of a 58-foot tall building. In addition the winds uprooted and down several trees, according to the NWS. No injuries were reported. Another EF1 tornado hit Susquehanna County almost an hour earlier. The NWS said it touched down south of Montrose around 4:45 p.m. Thunderstorms and accompanying winds rolled through Northeastern Pennsylvania late Thursday afternoon and early evening. Approximately 6,500 people in the county were without power at the height of the storms. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms today and each day of next week for Luzerne County, according to the NWS. Daily high temperatures will be in the low to mid 80s and lows will be in the 60s.
Riverlands welcomes visit from some little railcars that could
Group of enthusiasts shows off colorful “speeders” converted from role of work to play. By RALPH NARDONE Times Leader Correspondent
Chris Heisey, left, helps John Bubernack change direction of a ‘speeder’ rail car as they arrive Saturday at the PPL Susquehanna Riverlands in Salem Township.
Speeders are modified railcars once used by railroad companies to do serious work. Now they are primarily used by hobbyists from the North American Railcar Operators Association, or NARCOA, who ride them all over the country, said Joe Scopelleti, spokesman for PPL Corp. The speeders stopped at the PPL Susquehanna Riverlands located in Bell Bend near the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station nuclear power plant. Scopelleti said PPL contacted NARCOA a few years ago to let it know the group could use the six miles of track the utility company owns. The company thought it would
SALEM TWP. – On Saturday afternoon, about150 rail enthusiasts of all ages were treated to a parade of more than 35 colorful “speeders” along the railroad tracks near Berwick. Painted in bright colors, the cars resembled various types of vehicles from automobiles to farm equipment, trucks to locomotives. Some were decorated to look like characters from children’s stories. See RAIL, Page 11A
DON CAREY/THE TIMES LEADER