W-b Twp. Officials Clash Over Budget Cuts

Anthony Gorka 
Dec. 5, 1992 
Anthony Gorka, 69, Of Harveys Lake, Died Saturday Morning In Nesbitt Memorial 
Hospital, Kingston.

Monday, December 07, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A/5A QUICK WORDS: CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY 





FAMILY -- Mary and Joseph, played by Mark Lampman and Mary Vitale, perform
with Michael Comisky -- 'Baby Jesus' -- in Kingston Manor &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 PHOTO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Alma Beriot &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ************************************** &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By MITCH MORRISON &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Staff Writer &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 KINGSTON -- Dressed in a pearl white gown with flapping wings on her back,
Kristen Turoski is an angel. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And as the 8-year-old pranced before three dozen attentive elderly men and
women at Kingston Manor nursing home Sunday, she was accompanied by other
youthful angels, no less cute in their heavenly attire. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The precocious troupe is the brainchild of Alma Berlot. And for the past 16
years about this time, Berlot's band of youthful merrymakers entertain senior
citizens and those with physical and mental handicaps. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I do a lot of stuff as the angel," boasted Kristen during a
pre-performance interview. "I go around and take candy ... and soda and stuff
and give it out to the old people and the young people." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Sunday, Kristen and friends performed a Nativity play. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The entire cast was ready. The Virgin Mary. Joseph. The row of shepherds.
The angels. And, of course, baby Jesus. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mary Vitale, who plays Mary, is not your typical 16-year-old student. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While many of her contemporaries probably spend the day at the mall or with
friends, Vitale lovingly caresses baby Jesus (a.k.a. Michael Comisky). She
faithfully performs in each of the dozen shows performed during the holiday
season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I do this because my brother's handicapped," said Vitale, who plans to
study nursing in college. "He has Down syndrome and suffered a stroke when he
was a child." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Vitale and Turoski are members of "Make Someone Happy Group," a non-profit
organization created by Berlot in memory of her mother, Elizabeth Salvadore,
who was fatally struck by a drunken driver on Christmas Eve in 1976 while she
was crossing Main Street in Nanticoke. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Berlot introduces the performance by relating her mother's accident to the
audience. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Because of her death, I channel my energies" through "Make Someone Happy
Group," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Berlot credits divine intervention for her program's success. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For example, three days before last year's Christmas party for special
needs children, the person assigned to purchase gifts abruptly moved to Texas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We were in a panic," said Berlot, a full-time private duty nurse who
doubles as a Sunday school teacher at St. Francis Church in her hometown,
Nanticoke. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Suddenly, a friend at UNICO, which aids the handicapped, came to the
rescue, even though he was unaware of the crisis. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He called saying they had two truckloads of new toys and asked if we could
use them. I just thanked God," she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The organization, made up of more than 35 children, runs on a $2,400 annual
budget raised through private donations and hoagie and candy sales, as well as
contributions from the Knights of Columbus in Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke, and
from UNICO and Alhambra IV, which help handicapped children. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Berlot directs the money to help fund the Special Olympics in Nanticoke, a
Christmas party and a prom for children with mental retardation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Berlot bursts with creativity to meet her modest budget. Drapes are
converted into frocks for the children shepherds. Knickers and a cap worn by
Berlot's son 25 years ago are worn by the drummer boy, played by 2 -year-old
Adam Martin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We'll accept anything from people and turn it into something good," said
Berlot. "We just try to put a smile on the faces of people less privileged
than you and me."

Troupe Specializes In Holiday Happiness ************************************* Photo Times Leader/don Carey Holy