The Carbon County Area Hall of Fame banquet will be held Sunday, May 29 at Memorial Hall in Jim Thorpe. The doors will open at 1 p.m.

This year's inductees are:Palmerton - John Kleintop, Ted Plessl and Mike Dakan.Lehighton - Jim Remaley, Monroe Berger and Rick Stroup.Nesquehoning - Gary Barna, Nicole Hackenberg and Erick Hackenberg.Lansford - Joseph Jaso, Donnie Fredericks and Ed Shubeck.Jim Thorpe - Terry McElmoyle, Tricia McElmoyle and Farley Foster.Summit Hill - Trevor Lawrence Jr., Tom Bonner and Dave Evans.Coadale - Allysa Vavra, Joseph Holubek and Joe Terry.Tamaqua - Bob Schlosser, Aaron Frantz and Bill Sakusky.Banquet tickets can be purchased from the following Hall of Fame committee members: Danny McGinley 570-325-3550, Emmett McCall 570-645-2093, Art George (610-826-2830), Jake Boyer (610-751-6634), Trevor Lawrence (570-645-4722), Bill Gardiner (570-669-6564), Tom Bonner (570-386-2516), Herb Welsh (570-386-3187) and Bob Gelatko (570-645-8652). Tickets are $35 for adults. For children under 12 the cost is $15.Following are members of the 2016 Palmerton Hall of Fame class.JOHN KLEINTOPA 1974 graduate of Palmerton Area High School, John Kleintop was one of the finest athletes to attend the school, participating in both football and track and field.On the gridiron, Kleintop played on both sides of the ball, as a guard on offense and a middle linebacker on defense. Despite playing on a winless football team, records show Kleintop made 60 per cent of his tackles in each contest and also blocked five kicks, showing there was never any giving up. He eventually made the All Lehigh Valley League All Star team for his constant efforts on the defensive end.Playing in each of the '72, '73 and '74 seasons, he was honored to be placed on the "Prep All-American Football Team" in '73 and '74. In '72, he was selected to the all-league team on both offense and defense as a linebacker. The following year, he made the Big 33 Honor Roll and then in his final season with the Blue Bombers, he capped it off with a selection to the All Lehigh Valley League Team on offense.In track and field, Kleintop participated in his final three years at Palmerton, in which he focused on the discus throw event. In his junior season, he set the Northampton field record with a throw of 151-1 1/2, placed third at the Lehigh Valley League Meet and second at the District Eleven, Class 'B' Meet, which qualified him for the PIAA State Meet.In his senior year, he participated "in the shadow" of teammate Mike Dakan, the school record holder in the event to this day. He entered the "Meet of Champions" at Saucon Valley Fields, Lehigh University, where he managed to finish in second place with a throw of 158-9 1/2, which at the time was the second best throw in school history. He finished in third at the District Meet, which qualified him for the State Meet again. This time, Kleintop finished in fifth place for a medal.Kleintop moved on to Kutztown State University, where he worked his way into the starting lineup as a linebacker for the team. At one point, he intercepted a pass and returned it 28 yards, which set up a score for the Golden Bears. Shortly afterward, he suffered a career-ending injury to his back.John and his wife, Penny, are in the horse business, as they board, sell and show horses. John is currently employed at Rentschler's in Slatington for the past 40 years as a salesman and recently management.TED PLESSLA graduate from William Allen High School in 1969, and a '73 graduate from Rider College, Ted Plessl began his teaching and coaching careers at Palmerton Area High School in 1974, before retiring in 2009, after 35 years of service.While at Palmerton, Plessl coached baseball for 30 years (1975-2004). In that time, his teams compiled 269 wins, which included three Centennial League championships (1976, '78, and '83), and a Colonial League title in 1996. He was awarded the 1995-96 Colonial League Coach of the Year for Baseball. His Blue Bomber teams qualified for districts 14 times throughout his years of guidance, with two of them being 'Final Four' appearances. As a result of the above, Palmerton's school officials retired his #9 game jersey in 2004.Since his retirement, Plessl has been actively involved in coordinating several baseball programs. He is the representative coach and coordinator of the Howard E. Deppe All-Star Baseball Classic (1986-present), was an assistant coach for the Carpenter Cup: The Lehigh Valley Franchise (1992-97), and then became its head coach (1998-present), winning three championships (1998, 2001 and 2011). He also volunteered as the Schnecksville Playground Baseball Coordinator (1997-2002). In 2004, Ted accepted the role and continues to be the Keystone State Games Lehigh Valley Baseball Coordinator.Ted's achievements in baseball are numerous, which include many awards as a player, coach and speaker at baseball clinics and tournaments. In 1997, he published an article called, "Baseball Pregame Warm-Up," for the National Federation of Coaches. As a player, he was a LV Legion All-Star (1967, '68 and '69). He won the Lehigh Valley American Legion batting title in 1969, claimed Rider College baseball awards, was a Blue Mountain League Annual All Star (1970-1981), and was inducted into the Blue Mountain League Hall of Fame in 1988. Ted received the Frantz Trophies and Plaques Community Service Award in 1998, the American Baseball Coaches Association Quarter Century Award in 1999, and American Cancer Society All-Star Classic 20 Years of Service Award in 2005. In 2013, Ted was honored and awarded a Phillies watch for coaching more than 20 years for the Lehigh Valley Carpenter Cup.Ted and his wife, Maria, have two children: Tanja and Thomas.MIKE DAKANMike is a 1974 graduate of Palmerton Area High School. Over his high school career, he participated in baseball, basketball, football, and track & field.Mike participated in both basketball and baseball during his freshman season. As a sophomore, he played junior varsity basketball and varsity baseball under coach Mike Marcellino. He was voted as tri-captain of the football team his senior year. Dakan was nominated as the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete.Dakan excelled in every sport, but truly preformed in track and field.In 1973, he was the District 11 "B" Champion in discus, and placed sixth at the PIAA state meet. Dakan set a number of records in 1974. He set the Emmaus, Lehighton, and Catasauqua field records in discus. He was the District 11 "B" Champion in the event (165-1 1/2), and placed first in the Lehigh University Saucon Valley Field Meet of Champions, while setting both the meet and field records. He placed third at the PIAA state meet that year.Dakan still holds the Palmerton field record in discus of 180-0, which was the fifth-best throw ever in the state of PA at the time.After high school, Mike went to Bucknell University where he participated on both the track and field and football teams. He broke the Bucknell school record in the discus throw in 1978 with a throw of 169-0. Mike's record was recently broken, but is currently second-best.Mike is the father of two daughters, Amanda and Adrianne.