DV School Students Receive Safety Training

Pictured are some of the members of James Donnelly’s classes with Police Chief Chad Stewart of the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department and School Resource Officer Mark Moglia.

DUNMORE - Three classes of driver’s education classes at Delaware Valley High School, Matamoras, Pike County, recently received safety training in “Survival 101 and Sixteen Minutes.”   This multi-media safety program, was presented by Police Chief Chad Stewart of the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department and School Resource Officer Chief Mark Moglia

Approximately 100 young drivers are targeted by this hard-hitting presentation and discussion which encourages middle- and high school-age students to make appropriate decisions when they are drivers or passengers in a motor vehicle.  The program was developed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation´s Buckle Up PA Project, and draws its impact from police officers’ personal experiences in responding to serious teenage crashes and fatalities.

Luhrs Hardware Helps Food Pantry

Left to right: Matt Osterberg, George Lutfy, Dave Kimble, Mike Osterberg, Connor Luhrs, Pat Smith, and Dustin Luhrs.

On Tuesday November 24, employees, family and friends of Luhrs Hardware helped move a truck load of donated can goods from the Delaware Valley High School to the Ecumenical Food Pantry at the Good Shepherd Church in Milford. Luhrs has been donating this help for many years.

October 2009 Students of the Month

Delaware Valley High School has selected the October Students of the Month. These students have shown exceptional academic, vocational or athletic performance during the month of October and are being recognized by the staff and administrators of the school. The following students were chosen: (Left to Right: Back Row)Amy Merrill, Student of the Month, grade 10, daughter of Everett and Yvonne Merrill of Milford; Kathryn Ritter, Vo-Tech Student of the Month, grade 11, daughter of Kevin and Loretta Ritter of Dingmans Ferry; Alexandra Curley, Achievement Award, grade 10, daughter of Joe and Dawn Curley of Dingmans Ferry; Kory Wilson, Athlete of the Month, grade 12, son of James and Barbara Wilson of Dingmans Ferry;(Front Row) Samantha Buldo, Student of the Month, grade 9, daughter of Charles and Aileen Buldo of Dingmans Ferry; Tessa Grady, Student of the Month, grade 12, daughter of Daniel and Angela Grady of Mill Rift; Morgan Leek, Student of the Month, grade 11, daughter of Bill and Amy Leek of Dingmans Ferry.

Not Pictured: Chelsea Malzahn, Athlete of the Month, grade 12, daughter of John Malzahn and Kathy Cron of Matamoras. Each of these students received a Delaware Valley t-shirt from the principal and their names will be displayed on the school announcement board during the month of November.

Varsity Football: DV Loses a Heartbreaker to Wyoming Valley West 16-14

Getting ready to kick off after the touchdown. (Photo by Thomas O'Grady)

By Thomas O’Grady

WESTFALL—On September 18 the Wyoming Valley West Spartans visited the Delaware Valley Warriors.  The Spartans were coming off two straight losses and seeking their first win of the season, while the Warriors were attempting to recover from September 11’s drubbing at East Stroudsburg South.

DV received the opening kickoff and brought the ball out to their 21-yard line.  The Warriors wasted no time introducing freshman quarterback Bryan Schor to the DV-faithful.   On the first play from scrimmage Schor dropped back to pass and hit an open Damari Roulhac for a 79-yard touchdown.  After the failed two point conversion the Warriors led 6-0 before twenty seconds had ticked off the game clock.

On the ensuing kickoff the Spartans brought the ball out to their 34 yard line.  The Warriors defense came out fired up and forced a quick three and out.  The short possession showcased a great tackle by Dan Hipsman and deflected pass by Chris Cohen.

After the Spartans’ punted, the Warriors’ offense came out for their second possession of the game, the fireworks had ceased.  They too were held to a three and out and were forced to punt the ball away.  Off of the punt the Spartans had good field position starting at their own 42-yard line.

The Spartans got on a track.  Christian Martinez caught a pass from Conner Haggerty for 21 yards before being taken down by Mark Wagner.  Then from the Warriors’ 21-yard line, Wyoming Valley West moved the ball to the six.  From there Haggerty was able to hit Eugene Lewis with a touchdown pass.  The Spartans converted the extra point attempt and took a 7-6 lead with 3:04 left in the first quarter.

The Warriors’ next possession started on their own 26-yard line and after an illegal formation penalty gave them a first and fifteen Schor threw a pass to Cody Sebring for a gain of sixteen and a first down.  The next big play for the Warriors came from mid-field.  Schor was looking deep for Roulhac again; this time the pass fell incomplete but to the delight of the crowd there was laundry on the field.  The official had thrown a flag and called defensive pass interference giving the Warriors a first and ten from the Wyoming Valley West 35-yard line.  The drive sputtered on the first three plays, and facing a fourth and eight the Warriors went for it.  Schor’s pass fell incomplete off the hands of his receiver and the Spartans took over on downs.

On the second play from scrimmage the Spartans fumbled the ball but Dave Davidson, an offensive lineman for the Spartans, scooped up the fumble and took off downfield for a gain of twenty-two yards as the first quarter came to a close.  Later in the drive, the Spartans wouldn’t be so lucky.  On second down and eight the Spartans put the ball on the turf again, but this time the fumble was recovered by the Warriors.

The home crowd’s euphoria lasted about as long as a blink as the offense couldn’t get it going again and had to punt.  The Spartans took over on their own 41 but struggled against an aggressive defense which forced another punt.  The Warriors offense began to show some life again and moved the ball from their own three yard line to the twenty-eight by using a mixture of running plays with Derek Franchino and a play action pass from Schor to Sebring.  However, after picking up the first down on the 28 the Warriors’ offense sputtered and faced third and long.  The play call was a screen to Sebring but it didn’t materialize quite how it was drawn up and Sebring fumbled, giving the ball back to the Spartans on the DV 26-yard line.

The Warriors’ defense had its work cut out for them because the Spartans took over in field goal range.  The D did their job.  Despite multiple runs by Phil Sims, the Spartans couldn’t crack the goal line running the ball; so on third and goal from the four yard line Haggerty tried to pass into the end zone but Roulhac’s coverage was too tight and the Spartans settled for a field goal.  The made attempt put the Spartans up 10-6 with 1:06 left and with no more first half drama, the second quarter came to a close.

The third quarter was played to a draw with both teams struggling to move the ball due to solid defense, but with fewer than five minuets left in the game the DV offense found some life.  Franchino and Cohen moved the ball on the ground and with 3:54 left in the third quarter Cohen punched in the go-ahead touchdown.  The Warriors lined up for the two-point conversion and Schor converted it.  The Warriors had taken a 14-10 lead.

The Delaware Valley lead would last until the fourth quarter.  Then a punt team break down would help the Spartans comeback bid.  The Warriors punted and Lewis fielded the ball, he cut up field and a few broken tackles later it was Spartans ball at the DV 16-yard line.  A few plays later and Haggerty was running into the endzone to give the lead back to the Spartans.  WVW missed the extra point attempt and the Warriors found themselves trailing 16-14.

The rest of the fourth quarter was played evenly with both teams struggling to sustain any meaningful drives and the game came to end with Lewis intercepting a Schor pass.  Wyoming Valley West killed the clock with a kneel down and the Spartan’s got their first win of the season.

After the game Coach Olsommer didn’t have much to say.  He emphasized the fact that the team who makes the most mistakes usually loses.  “If you make a ton of mistakes in a close game against a good team, you lose.”

J.V. Football: DelVal Drops 20-12 Decision

Andrew Lutcza after getting pushed out of bounds on a run.

By Thomas O’Grady

WESTFALL—On September 21 the Warriors’ Junior Varsity played the Spartans’ Junior Varsity at Delaware Valley.  The Spartans won 20-12, handing the Warriors’ JV team their first loss of the season.

D.V. Varsity Soccer: D.V. 2, Mountain View 1

Brandon Angradi gets the play started. (Photo by Thomas O'Grady)

Warriors Win a Grueling Double O.T. Game

By Thomas O’Grady

WESTFALL — The Delaware Valley Warriors Varsity soccer team played the Mountain View Eagles on Wednesday night.  The Warriors played a hard fought game and won in double overtime.

At the start of the game, both teams came out fired up and played hard.  The half was dominated by defense and ended in a 0-0 tie.  The second half followed the same recipe, as both teams were scoreless until Alfonso Burton of the Warriors scored to give D.V. a 1-0 lead with 19:05 left in the game.  The Warriors defense held up and did not yield a goal until 1:20 was left and Rob Cross got a shot past Sergio Napolitano to tie the game at 1-1.  The last 1:20 was uneventful and regulation ended.

During the first overtime it was abundantly clear that Napolitano would not make the same mistake and allow a goal.  He and his teammates played great defense, however so did the Eagles; the game rapidly entered the second overtime.  The second overtime period was short lived.  With 7:47 left Burton scored to end the game with a 2-1 win for the Warriors.

Head Coach Aaron Stark named Joe Decker the defensive player of the game and Burton the Offensive player of the game.  He felt both teams played hard and said, “Any overtime win is a great win.”

Warriors Varsity Field Hockey: Delaware Valley 6, Wallenpaupack 0

The only negative incident from the Warriors 6-0 win over Wallenpaupack on Thursday, Sept. 10, occurred when Ashley Raniero took a ball off the leg and had to be helped off the field.(Photo by Thomas O'Grady)

Warriors Dominate Buckhorns for 1^st Win of the Season

By Thomas O’Grady

The Delaware Valley Warriors field hockey team came out fired up and wasted no time scoring their first goal of the game.  Missy Ramsey gave the Warriors a quick 1-0 lead with 19:29 left in the first half.  Less than eight minutes later, it was Eavan Matz turn.  She took a Christy Murphy pass and scored to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead with 22:11 left to play in the half.  Almost instantly Ramsey was at it again.  She scored her second goal off of an assist from Sarah Witkowski with 19:29 left.  The Buckhorns’ goalie, Evie Decker was clearly frustrated by the Warriors offense.  However, she buckled down and escaped the half without surrendering another goal.

The Warriors came right out in the second half and hit their stride right away as Ashley Holgate scored at the 24:32 mark to give the Warriors a 4-0 lead.  Kyrsten Brockman go into the mix for the Warriors when she scored with 17:10 left in the game and as if that weren’t enough insurance the Warriors’ juggernaut offense scored once more with 15:43 left.  Witkowski scored off of a Ramsey assist for the final D.V. goal.  For the last 15:43 the Warriors dug in their heels and goalie Faith Torkildesen preserved the shutout.

As the game ended, Coach Lindsay Sabo couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.  She felt that coming into the game on a three game losing streak and still seeking their first win really helped the team’s intensity.  “Losing three straight really fired them up.”  If the Warriors can keep this level of play up, Sabo may not have to worry about another losing streak.

Blood Donors Honor 9/11 Victims

Port Jervis resident Petra Dewey was among the many regional blood donors who took time out of their Saturday to provide the life saving gift of blood this past weekend. Nurse Technician Jeanna Bau prepares to skillfully draw Dewey’s blood. (Photo by Sharon Siegel)

By Sharon E. Siegel

MILFORD – A special memorial blood drive conducted by the American Red Cross brought large numbers of regional blood donors to the Delaware Valley Middle School gym Saturday.  The seventh annual Day of Remembrance/Day of Caring Community Blood Drive was co-sponsored by United Way of Pike County, Pike County Commissioners, Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Pike County Public Library, Delaware Valley School District, and Scott Myer and Myer and Myer, CPA, and was also held in honor of the victims of September 11, 2001.

The drive was very successful in obtaining many pints of the lifesaving gift of blood, some of which was given in memory of those who were lost on 9-11, and to help others to survive.  The event is one of many blood drives carried out each year in the region, but among the biggest according to United Way President Christine Obser.

“The community is really stepping out and coming to the plate do a good job as usual,” said Obser, as dozens of donors stepped through the middle school’s gymnasium doors.  “United Way’s mission is to give back to the community, and this Day of Remembrance Blood Drive is one of the biggest drives of the region each year.”

The drive was well-organized, with stations set up to welcome donors, provide information, take medical histories, prepare and draw blood, and serve refreshments.  This year a raffle ticket was also provided, offering donors a chance to win a new gas barbeque grill.  While the raffle was a nice component, it was clearly not the biggest motivator that brought donors to the gym.

“We gave blood last year for the first time, and we decided to come back and do it again. It’s just something we wanted to do,” said DVHS seniors Brittany Ahlers and Meaghan Irwin, as they waited for their medical histories to be taken early Saturday morning.  “We heard about it in school and we just thought should come.”

That same sentiment was expressed by most of the others who arrived and gave blood throughout the day.

Members of Delaware Valley High School’s HOSA program were on hand in full force to assist with the Day of Caring Blood Drive held at the middle school on Saturday. Pictured (L-R) are: Sophomores Alyssa Snyder, Brittany Murphy, Sarah Brennan, and Jacqui Dupree, and seniors Leigha Dolcemascolo, Kevin Buting, Tara Lisa, Vanessa Buchanan, and David Schultz. (Photo by Sharon Siegel)

Delaware Valley Middle School gym was the location of one of the more successful annual local blood drives, which was carried out by the American Red Cross and several local volunteer agencies for six hours this past Saturday. (Photo by Sharon Siegel)

Delaware Valley High School Seniors Kimberly Montalbano and Jackie Hoerst were among the volunteers who answered a call for help by United Way, one of multiple sponsors of the 7th Annual Day of Caring – Community Blood Drive. They are pictured with United Way President and Chairman of the Blood Drive Christine Obser. (Photo by Sharon Siegel)

College Board Names 52 DV Students AP Scholars – Smashes School Record

Fifty Two students in the Delaware Valley High School have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams.  Jay Tucker, Counseling Department Chairperson in the Delaware Valley School District stated “this is the largest number of AP Scholars ever recognized in one year in the Delaware Valley High School.”

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

Students took AP Exams in May 2009 after completing challenging college-level courses at the Delaware Valley High School.  The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on the number of courses each student takes and the grade they receive.

Twenty students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more exams. These students are Gregory Callaghan, Shawn Chen, Joshua Davis, Gregory DeGiorgis, Kieran Ficken, Brendan Ford, Brian Harris, Derek Houseknecht, Justin Hubbard, Rachel Knuth, Valerie Langberg, Lisa Martinek, Matthew Neumann, Brandon Ramirez, Anne Reno, Joshua Reyes, George Siracuse, Ashley Stryker, Alyssa Tomaskovic and Melissa Vazquez-Aguilar.

Thirteen students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least a 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more exams.  These students are Jessie Altaville, Caitlin Anderson, Samuel Daniel, Tylor Dippel, Janet Gillespie, Christie Grimm, Nicolle Herzog, Zachary Hubbard, Tymothy Lipari, Jennifer Moretz, Rachel Pauling, Joseph White and William Zenes.

Nineteen students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams, with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are Joshua Beers, Kathryn Braisted, Richard Cheng, Catherine Clifford, Emily Dorko, Sarah Gilmour, Jordyn Horning, Roxanne Indelicato, Kurt Merrill, Elizabeth Mincer, David Misiaszek, Karalee Morgan, Kelly Murphy, Katelyn Nagy, Rebecca Reitmeyer, James Salamon, Michael Schuster, Colin Troup and Elizabeth Wolf.

In addition to being named one of the 52 DV student AP Scholars, three students also qualified for the prestigious National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a 5 point scale on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. Only the top ½ of 1 percent of the AP students in the country earn this award. This years’ Delaware Valley High School National AP Scholars are Shawn Chen, Matthew Neumann and Joshua Reyes.

Tucker was “very pleased” that fifty two of our students earned national recognition for their outstanding achievements on the AP Exams. This number (52) smashed the previous DV record of 44 AP Scholars who were honored during the 2007-2008 school year.

Through more that 30 different college-level courses and exams, AP provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit or advanced placement and stand out in the college admission process. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that our exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions. AP is accepted by more than 3,600 colleges and universities worldwide for college credit, advanced placement, or both on the basis of successful AP Exam grades. This includes more than 90 percent of four year institutions in the United States. Research consistently shows that AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams (based on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and higher graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,600 schools colleges, universities and other educational organizations.  Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,800 colleges through major programs and services in college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment and teaching and learning. Among it’s best known programs are the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the Advanced Placement Program (AP). The College Board is committed to the principals of equity and excellence, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

String Quintet Plays Radiohead and Other Surprises Sept. 26

Sybarite5

MILFORD — Sybarite5 will perform at Delaware Valley High School on Saturday, September 26. The members of this string quintet, who aim to expand both the musical possibilities and the audience for chamber music, will also teach master classes at DVHS.

The fact that this is a string quintet, not a quartet, is just one of the things that makes this group unique. “Sybarite5 adds a double bass to the traditional string quartet,” explains bass player Louis Levitt, “and that allows us to cross over, to play both the standard repertoire and contemporary music. Our only rule in choosing what to play is this: We pick music we like.”

That music is often modern, very modern. For example, “Radiohead Remixed Project” will take up a substantial portion of the Milford concert.

Sybarite5’s embrace of contemporary music, combined with its members’ skills, has earned the quintet rave reviews. “Most of us were blown away by Paul Kim’s imaginative arrangements of songs by the alternative rock band Radiohead,” wrote Gayle Williams in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. “Their performance was both eye and ear candy.”

This group has delighted audiences at the Aspen Music Festival, Lincoln Center, the Time Warner Center, and on TV programs such as the CBS Early Show. “A fresh new breeze has blown through the staid chamber music world of Sarasota,” said Williams when the ensemble performed in Florida. The critic from Aspen Magazine wrote, “Rock on!”

In addition to Radiohead, the Milford program will include a tango suite by Astor Piazzolla; “The Rebel” by Piotr Szewzcyk, a symphony orchestra violinist who likes jazz; and Dan Visconti’s ”Black Bend,” which virtually turns this string quintet into a ten-hand blues guitar.

Presented by Kindred Spirits Arts Programs, a nonprofit organization that produces concerts and music education programs in Pike County, PA, the performance begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26th , in the Delaware Valley High School auditorium, 252 Route 6 and 209, in Milford. See www.dvsd.org/dvworld for directions. Admission is $10 for adults, and children under 12 are admitted free.

For further information about Kindred Spirits Arts Programs visitwww.kindredspiritsprograms.org. For video clips and other information about Sybarite5, visit sybarite5.org. For CDs see www.cdbaby.com.