W-b Area Adds Probation Officer To Staff 
The Goal Is To Prevent Students On Probation From Getting Into Lives Of Crime, 
Says A County Official

Alma Sidonis 
Jan. 15, 1994 
Alma P. Sidonis, 81, Of East Spring Street, Nanticoke, Formerly Of 
Wilkes-barre, Died Saturday In Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-barre.

By ANNE KAROLYI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Tuesday, January 18, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 &amp; 12A QUICK WORDS: MAROONED WITH
KIDS 





Refrigerator doors bang open and shut. Open and shut. All day long. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Televisions blare. Nintendos bleep. And, across Luzerne County, the wail
prevails: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Mom, we're bored." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ask any adult trapped with children in a snowbound house. Outside, peaceful
white flakes flutter. Inside, it's a whole different story. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Complete Chaos. Redundant? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The house is a mess, and they eat more food, and the dishes pile up," says
Alice Doxsey of Wright Township. Doxsey spent the cold weekend and snowy
Monday at home with her four daughters. "But what can you do?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many area parents were in a similar spot on Monday, with their children
either home on a snow day or off from school in honor of Martin Luther King
Jr. Day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 What can you do, when the family car looks like a snow bank with wheels and
the temperature dips beyond cold into just plain nasty? The time is ripe for a
little unexpected family bonding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Or, something like that. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I watch TV and pet my dog," says 9-year-old Joey Nice of Larksville. "And
then I go get something to eat, and then I watch TV and pet my dog. And then I
go get something to eat, and pet my dog." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 How long before boredom strikes and he runs to Mom? "Oh, about an hour." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Cabin fever. Sibling fights. Screech-inducing boredom. The first step to
avoid those stuck-at-home blues is patience, says Ann Moran of Laflin, mother
of five: Mary Pauline, 11, Kathleen, 8, Patricia, 7, Ann, 5, and Maureen, 4. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 All had Monday off from classes at St. John the Baptist School in Pittston.
They did homework, played and begged to pull out the sleds. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The important thing is a sense of humor and patience," Moran says. "If you
don't become patient, you definitely lose the war." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Once your patience is down pat, invoke the second rule of being homebound
by snow: Drop everything. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If you don't plan on getting anything done, you don't worry about it,"
says Doxsey, whose snowbound state prompted her to bake sugar cookies.
"Tomorrow is always another day: You can go back to work or clean the house
then." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Before snow hits again, pack the fridge. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "All day, they eat. And they can look in the refrigerator and say, `There's
nothing to eat; there's no good food.' " Doxsey says. "But it doesn't matter,
because they'll eat it anyway." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although the thought of more kids may make you tremble, invite some of your
offspring's friends over. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It works for me. They don't fight with each other; they go off with their
friends," Doxsey says. "They entertain each other." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If the weather warms, sledding, ice-skating or a good snowball fight do a
lot to spice up the day. If not, any time-consuming activity inside helps the
hours tick away, says Gail Nice of Larksville. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We've done jigsaw puzzles; they made Jell-O jigglers. Anything to keep
busy," Nice says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Nice usually tries another ploy: Put the kids to work. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We played a game: Let's do the laundry," Nice laughs. "I washed, they
folded. Later, we're going to shovel the driveway." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Parents can always turn to the great pacifier: Movies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We trade movies up here, and food, too," says Carm Nealon of Bear Creek
Township, mother of John, 15, Andrew, 13, and Matthew, 8. "Because we're not
going anywhere." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They'll watch movies for hours," Doxsey says of her daughters: Alyssa, 16,
Jessica, 13, Colleen, 11 and Annie, 7. "So stock up. And they're always
willing to watch `Aladdin' again." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course, there's always hope: School could be back in session the very
next day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Believe me, the first clear day, I'm having a shopping day for myself,"
Nealon says. "That includes lunch out also." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On Monday, Doxsey hoped for just a delay at Crestwood School District this
morning. Still, she admits, snow days aren't all that bad. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Fifteen years ago, 10 years ago, I probably would be climbing the walls,"
Doxsey says. "You kind of discover over the years that they grow up so
quickly, you might as well enjoy them while they're young." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/FRED ADAMS &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Angie Nice, 7, and her 9-year-old brother, Joey, spend part of the day
shoveling out their Larksville driveway. No more snow is expected until
Thursday or Friday, though temperatures should stay near zero for the next few
days.

Marooned With Kids? How To Stay Sane If Non-stop Snow Means Another Day To Go Crazy With Children At Home, Try Some Family Bonding