‘4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 10, 1992 "2 DALLasCPosT fi 2 Lehman district's quick fix could harm region's potential So you want to go out and have some fun? And you heard they have some good shows at the new amphitheater at ' Harveys Lake. Better hurry — your choices may be limited . soon, courtesy of a new tax rendered by the Lake-Lehman ' School District. Apparently in order to avoid an even greater increase in . property taxes in the district, the school board voted to impose ' a 10% tax on admission charges at entertainment and recrea- tion facilities. While bashful about property taxes, the seven ' board members who voted for the new tax sure didn’t restrain | themselves; they went for the maximum allowable rate right off | the bat. For all the fuss, the district estimates that taxing fun ' will bring in only $65,000, equivalent to 2.25 mills of property assessment. To put that into perspective, 2.25 mills is 1.3% of the present property tax rate of 176 mills in Luzerne County. "AS it is, next year’s tax rate is slated to increase to 188 mills, | or 6.8%. The appeal of an amusement tax is obvious; in theory it | would apply largely to people who don't live in the district and | it is levied on “amusements,” which can be characterized as | unnecessary. But there's a dark side that could in the long run | be very damaging to the communities in the district, and that | is the chilling effect the tax will have on business. The first hint of that came when Thom Greco, the promoter behind the amphitheater, suggested that he would stage fewer shows ifthe tax holds up, and that those would be in the hard rock vein rather than the more broadly appealing (and quieter) acts . already scheduled. ... Some observers would say that any tax increase is inappro- priate given recent economic conditions. But that argument ‘ignores the changes that have taken place in school funding ‘over the last few years. Shrinking federal and state contribu- | tions — without corresponding reductions in mandated pro- grams — have shifted more financial responsibility onto local taxpayers. Long-term contracts negotiated in better times with “teachers have added to the burden, at a time when the message | from more and more people seems to be, “I don't want to pay | for anything unless I get the money right back.” That has caused virtually all school districts to search for new sources of revenue and/or cost reduction, and an amuse- ‘ment tax is one legitimate option. But going for the max with- out warning smacks of opportunism, not good planning. In this case, the district's quick fix carries too much risk, both for the district and the municipalities of which it is comprised. Lake-Lehman would be far better to lower its ‘expectations or find an alternative revenue source. To aid environment. ‘without regulation, tax oil and gas George Bush will be flying down to Rio this week, for what . purpose no one seems to know. But it's an election year, and the “environmental president” would have had a hard time explaining his absence. As in so many other areas, Mr. Bush receives middling marks for his environmental performance. One day he's siding « with loggers against the Spotted Owl and the next saying we'll “double the money we're giving to other nations to encourage them not to clear-cut their forests. It's hard to figure. Even his detractors give the President credit for signing the revised Clean Air Act in 1990. But wait; the ink has been dry - for two years and there has been no action taken on the act, as | it sits in bureaucratic purgatory waiting for the administration ‘to put its principles in the form of rules and regulations. Oops! There's that dirty little word — regulations. Everybody seems “to hate them the way they didn't like having to eat broccoli as » a child, Without them, some say, we'd be a better place, but in ‘what way seems uncertain. II George Bush really wanted to do something to help the “environment — and do it without unnecessary regulation — he iswould push through a hefty tax on gasoline and/or crude oil rand use the proceeds to re-create a true mass transportation system in this nation. If he did that, these would be the results: MW Automobile manufacturers would develop more fuel-effi- cient cars and trucks, because fuel economy would be a big selling point. MW All other users of fossil fuels would scramble to use them as efficiently as possible, spawning a new industry devoted to energy-efficiency. MW Oil companies would push headlong into alternative fuels once they saw that there was money to be made there, BM Our dependence on imported oil would drop, and with it the need to play beat cop to the world. As a side benefit, Middle Eastern despots like Saddam Hussein would lose their principal source of cash, BW It would suddenly become feasible to restore train service between major cities, ending the parade of cars with one occupant that now make up the majority of vehicles on our highways. BW And, of course, the volume of pollution released into the air would decline. « Could, would Mr. Bush propose such a step? If this really is a unique political year, when straight-talkin’ non-political types have taken center stage, why not? Haven't you seen a horse fly? Ti SDALLASCPoST Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek Editor and Publisher Associate Publisher | Ct Peggy Young Eric Foster Advertising Acct, Exec. : Reporter bord i, Grace R. Dove Paul Rismiller Reporter Olga Kostrobala Production Manager : Classified/typesettin g Jean Hillard yp g Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Spring beauty Photo by Maria Sawka [ etters Dallas zoning could bring subsidized housing Editor: In response to a State mandate, Dallas Boro Council has received from, the consultant it hired, a comprehensive re-zoniag proposal. The principal objective of the mandate appears to be to restruc- ture present zoning regulations in order to avoid “exclusive zoning"— that is, to rezone in order to pro- vide in the Boro for lower cost “affordable” housing to accommo- date low income groups, To accomplish® this, various areas of Dallas Boro iwould be downgraded from the present R-1 zoning to R-2, R-3 and’ R-3A. A sizable area along Main and Fran- klin Streets is scheduled to be zoned for multiple family housing (apartments). At least three objections to this proposal may be voiced as follows: First, because of the compre- hensive nature of the ordinance, much of the Boro Council's pres- ent power to influence future de- velopment will pass from the Council to the courts. That is, if developers meet the specifications embodied in the ordinance, there is little that the Council can do to stop implementation; For example, the proposed rezoning of the area along Main and Franklin Streets to multiple-unit housing could bring low-rent/subsidized housing to Dallas. Or: that portion of the ordinance that specifies location of massage parlors, adult book- stores, adult theaters, etc., might well engender just this type of establishment in the proposed business zone, Second, the proposed change in zoning rules, from those presently pertaining to “special exceptions” to a classification termed “condi- tional use”, not only removes from the average citizen an opportunity to protest a given proposal, but also reduces the Council's power to materially affect any undesired development proposal which may arise. Third, sooner or later, the pro- posed changes in zoning rules, in aggregate, would unquestionably result in substantially increased traffic flows, a greater strain on the Boro's water resources, increased pollution of streams and water- ways, increased sewer costs (to finance new extensions), and a heavier burderi“in municipal and school costs. This rezoning proposal is a very important piece of work because it will largely determine the frame- work and character of the next century's Dallas. Is Dallas to be- come just a duplicate of Wilkes- Barre's crowded environs? Or should we try to maintain its pres- ent residential /semi-rural charac- ter? An existing program to develop subsidized low-income housing in Luzerne County (outside of Wilkes- Barre) could mean a targeting of Dallas Boro. In other areas of the county, this type of development has meant a substantial increase in crime s well as much higher security (police) costs. Think about it! Hugh P. King Dallas A. Case for Conservation Landscapes: Dead or Alive? By ALENE N. CASE According to Webster, a land- scape is “an expanse of natural scenery seen by the eye in one view." The verb indicates changing “the natural features of a plot of ground so as to make it more at- tractive, as by adding lawns, trees, bushes, etc." Thus, as we land- scape our yards, we are permitted to change the natural order but not to make them unnatural, Perhaps it is the “etc.” that gets us into trouble. Some modern landscaping is a collection of rail- road ties, black plastic, pine bark chips, and small white stones. The only living things are a few small azaleas or junipers that will re- quire little care. Somehow, this doesn't fit the definition, Wilkes University provides a prime example of these “landscap- ing" techniques. A few years back, they decided that it was inefficient to hire people to pull weeds out of their flower beds. So they put down pine bark on top of sheets of black plastic. Not only did they stop the weed problem but they also com- pletely eliminated the spring bulbs that used to brighten the campus. And now they have a “lovely” mix- ture of pine bark and cigarette butts surrounding their shrub- bery. | say go back to weeding! So far, so good. You are likely sitting there patting yourself on the back because you have a nice green lawn and a couple of tall shade trees. But, in the most re- cent issue of Urban Forests, Rich and Marion Patterson make the following startling statement: “The American dream of tall trees and perfect turfis an ecological contra- diction." Think about it for a moment, Have you ever walked in a natural forest where the leaf litter had been neatly swept away by the bears and owls? Have you ever seen a natural meadow that had only one type of grass all clipped precisely to a height of 2 inches? When Europeans see photo- graphs of our expansive lawns, they admire them for a minute or two and then they ask “But, where are the sheep?" Before you laugh at their quaintness, consider how sterile most yards really are. A friend of mine could have used some of those sheep recently when a realtor intructed her to get rid of the dandelions before putting her house up for sale. It seems that in our search for the perfect landscape we tend toward the unnatural and sterile. We have forgotten how to live with the natural world. Ouryards could be providing food for our families and for the creatures who live nearby, We could have fruit trees for early spring blossoms and autumn jellies. We could plant native wildflowers that attract bees, dragonflies and hummingbirds. Instead of trying so hard to maintain lawn where it does not grow well, plantother groundcovers such as ferns or clover. In fact, clover is a wonderful addition to any lawn. White clover seed can be mixed with grass seed or sown in bare patches by itself, It provides nitrogen to the soil so that the lawn will need much less fertilizer (possibly none). It doesn't grow as fast as most grasses so the lawn will not need to be mowed as fre- quently, And, of course, the honey- bees will love it, As you add to the diversity in your yard, you will discover that you have much less trouble with insect pests and noxious weeds. Therefore, you will not be tempted to use chemicals to control them. You will also discover that there is joy in sharing your space with the birds, animals, and people who live in the vicinity. It has been my unhappy experience that perfect yards often breed unfriendly own- ers. My husband and I are gratified whenever anyone tells us how much they enjoy going through our yard to look at the fish pool and flowers, We know then that the frogs and birds are not the only neighbors who feel at home here, Our strawberries are enjoyed by ° an elderly lady who cannot gar- den. Another elderly neighbor sees our garden columbine in bloom and knows that the seeds from her yard will survive her - she gave them to us 10 years ago. As you plan future landscaping projects, I challenge you to re- member the definition of the word. Try to make your yard as natural a place as possible so that it will be a comfortable habitat for all who dwell there. Only yesterday 60 Years Ago - June 10, 1932" DALLAS HIGH SCHOOL | GRADUATES EIGHT About 25 Boy Scouts from Shavertown United Methodist Church under direction of Fred Eck, Scoutmaster, will leave Mon- day by truck on a three day trip to Washington, D.C. with stops at Harrisburg and Gettysburg. In the Capitol the boys will camp along the Potomac. “| Eight students will be gradu- ated from Dallas High School at commencement exercises tomor- row. Glendon Moore had attained the highest average for the year and will be awarded $2.50 in gold by the Dallas Parent Teacher As- sociation. Margaret Hill attained the highest rank in scholarship among the girls will receive a four year scholarship to College Miseri- cordia. | 50 Years Ago - June 12, 1942. i TANNERY WORKERS | GET PAY RAISE Wage increase for all workers of Armour Leather Co., tannery at Noxen was approved by the War Labor Department “at Washington,D.C. constituting. a major victory for the CIO Fur & Leather Workers Union which has sought full recognition from the tannery officials for the past 10 months. U.S. Marine Elwood Davis visit- ing his parents Squire and Mrs. Ralph Davis at Alderson this week will board ship in Norfolk, Va. for an unknown destination in the War Zone at the end of his { ;- lough. In an election which appeared to strongly minimize the new won power ofthe State Republican Organization in the Back Moun- tain Region, Peter D. Clark re- ceived 37 committeeman votes. to 35 for his opponent Arnott Jones of Forty Fort and gained his third consecutive chairmanship of th 6th District. : Engaged - Helen Alberta Kirk- endall to Pvt. 1st Class Robert David Appleton. f 40 Years Ago - June 13, 15:4 CAROL HEUER LEHMAN VALEDICTORIAN # Lehman-Jackson High Schiol held commencement exercises ° Wednesday with a number of awards and diplomas presented. Carol J. Heuer was valedictorain and received a number of awards. Kenneth Meade was Salutatorian and received the Alumni Key’ for highest average on commercial course. For members of the many com- mittees of the 6th annual Back Mountain Memorial Library Auc- tion the next four weeks will be busy ones. New and old goods gre beginning to fill the barn for \.% auction to be held July 10, 11 and 12. : Wed - Mildred Culp to Pvt, Al- bert Kern. “With a Song In My Heart" star- ring Susan Hayward and David Wayne now playing at Himmler Theatre. 30 Years Ago - June 14, 1962 FIRECHIEF'S SONS ESCAPE BLAZE Commencement ofthe first class of 141 seniors to graduate from the new Dallas Senior High School building, was held in the gym with the rostrum open in both direc- tions toward the gym and toward the auditorium to accomodate a banner crowd. ‘Trapped by a fire on the seco floor of a frame dwelling, caiZse unknown, the three sons of Fire Chief Joseph Ide made their way safely down a ladder erected at an open window by a neighbor, The family escaped in night clothing, Bl their possessions were a total 08S. 20 Years Ago - Junei5, 1972 | DER TO TEST HARVEYS LAKE FOR BACTERIA Samplings of Harveys Lake water will be taken this week and tested by DER. Bacteriological testing of water and four public beaches are reported as being planned. Of the four beaches, Hanson's and Sandy Beach are currently closed, It is not known at this time if they will continue to be closed for the summer. Denise Sherwood, Girl Scout Troop 660, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. Sherwood, Shavertown, has been selected to represent Penns Woods Council at a two week scouting event “Footprints in the Jersey Sands” to be held in Brigantine, New Jersey. Plans to hold commencement ceremonies out of doors at the athletic field were thwarted when heavens loosed a downour just before 220 Dallas High School seniors were scheduled to gradu- ateand moved indoors to the Junior High auditorium.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers