`belle' Rings With Hilarity Among One-acts At Wilkes

1 Fired, 2 Suspended In Escapes 
Four Boys Who Fled Juvenile 
Detention Center In December 
Are Behind Bars

By MARY THERESE BIEBEL; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Friday, January 09, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 6C 





They don't have much money, local contra dancers say, but they're good
neighbors and they need a new home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ideally it would be a room at least as big as a small gymnasium, perhaps 40
by 60 feet, with space for 60 dancers, a band of folk musicians and their
acoustic instruments. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If it had a hardwood floor with some spring in it, the dancers would be
enraptured. But, almost any kind of smooth, uncarpeted floor would do. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 They'd keep the place clean, they promise, and they'd set it to rights if
need be when they were done. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As anyone who's ever stayed 'til the end of a local contra dance can
attest, organizers and volunteers sweep the floor, put any errant tables or
chairs back where they belong and quietly pack up the remnants of their juice
and cookie refreshments. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We have some pretty responsible people in our group," said organizer David
Martin of Center Moreland. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Since late 1990, the Folklore Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the
Chicory House folk music venue have sponsored monthly, New England-style
dances, which resembles square and ethnic dancing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Participants range from 8-year-olds who come with parents, teenagers and
30-somethings who enjoy folk music, and senior citizens who revel in the
chance to once more dance as they did when they were young. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "This brings people into the area- the kind of clientele most people like
to get, pretty well-behaved people- because it's a cooperative type of event,"
Martin said. "It doesn't attract anti-social types." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mary Frances Forcier agrees with that assessment. She's the public
relations spokeswoman for Wyoming Seminary, which has hosted the dances for
free during the past year in the cafeteria of its Lower School in Forty Fort. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a family event. You have little kids and older people, all
cooperating together," Forcier said. "They care about each other and the place
where they're dancing. It's great to have them." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But school officials want to move the dances to the Upper School in
Kingston, where it will be easier to find chaperones from among its staff.
Martin fears the room that is available there is a bit too small. Hence, the
search for a new home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 From late 1990 to 1996, the dances took place at First Presbyterian Church
in Wilkes-Barre. But the $75 rental fee was draining the coffers of the
nonprofit group, which also was committed to providing live music and callers
at a nominal cost to participants. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Lending a hall to the contra dancers won't swell anyone's bank account,
Martin said, but it will enrich the community by keeping an art form alive. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We need a lot more wholesome activity like this," said Martin, detailing
the socializing and aerobic benefits of contra dancing in a smoke-free,
alcohol-free setting. "People talk about us being a college town, and young
people say there's nothing to do." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Organizers and volunteers have approached schools and churches, in search
of an auditorium or community room. It's been difficult to find a place that's
not already used by a Scout

They Need A New Place To Do Si Do Local Supporters Are Searching For A New Place That Would Welcome Their Contra Dancers