Opinion
arrett Ray, a former editor of the Littleton
(Colo.) Independent, published an article enti-
tled “It’s tough to teach on VDTSs” in the July 11
issue of ‘‘Publisher’s Auxiliary’’ magazine.
. Although Mr. Ray’s column was geared specifically
toward the newspaper person who understands just
how difficult it actually is to teach on VDTs (video
display terminals), I found some of his ideas rather
comical and thought they might be of interest to the
layperson who does’t understand the difficulties report-
ers and editors are faced with on a daily basis.
Newspapers across the country have thrown the ‘hot
lead system’ out the window and are now using the
more sophisticated system of designing their publica-
tions with the use of computers.
While reading how Mr. Ray explains the non-existent
“hard copy’ which editors used to tear apart and
completely rewrite with the use of a red marker, all
the disadvantages of the VDT system were spelled out
to me.
Now, don’t get me wrong - I think VDTs are great.
They allow you to set the copy of a story the exact
width you want it to be; they tell you just how long a
particular story is; they tell you whether or not your
headline will fit in the space you have allowed for it;
and they let you do all kinds of wonderful things with
news copy.
But, then again, VDTs can also cause severe
headaches to the person who has stared at a little
green cursor bouncing around on a screen for eight
hours; they can ‘‘eat’” your stories and never let you
see them again; and they can, and do almost always,
break down during a lightning storm.
As Mr. Ray explains, the use of VDTs has also ‘made
it most difficult for a cub reporter to learn from his
mistakes.
When a reporter “transfers” a story from his “file”
to an editor’s “file,” the reporter never again sees his
original masterpiece. And, unless the reporter has the
original piece of work or unless his memory is good
enough to remember exactly how his story was written
the first time, he will never know what parts the editor
liked enough to save and what parts he disliked enough
to change.
When the editor (and I might add here that, contrary
to popular belief, most editors today do not sit under
dim lamps wearing leather visors and smoking cigars)
“calls up” the reporter’s story on his VDT, a red
marking pen is the last thing he needs.
With the aid of such computers keys as ‘‘delete,”
‘‘add,”’ ‘‘move,” and “kill,” the editor quickly
recreates the reporter’s story. And, in most cases, by
the time the editor gets around to reading the copy, the
reporter has already completed his shift.
Without the opportunity to stand behind the editor
and gawk over his shoulder, the reporter does not
recognize the changes that have been made when he
sees his story in print the next day.
All in all, the use of VDTs has certainly speeded up
the process of the newspaper business and has allowed
us editors the opportunity to dabble in different types
of layout designs. There is still, however, a certain
amount of disadvantages laid on us by these monsters
of modern technology.
Yet, because of our burning desire to remain
involved with the newspaper business, we continue to
cope with the headaches, the eating of stories and the
death of the system during lightning storms. And we
love every minute of it!
- DOTTY MARTIN
going to tolerate professional athletes and their
drug habits?
"The Aug. 3 arrest of Tony Peters of the Washington
Redskins in a drug bust is just another chapter in the
ever-growing book of our outrageously-paid American
athletes disappointing their public.
Peters, a veteran safety, has been accused of helping
to arrange the sale of cocaine to undercover agents of
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police.
Following a hearing in Harrisburg, Peter was
released on a $50,000 bond - and he probably put up the
$50,000 himself.
Year after year and season after season, the
American sports fan continues to cheer these people for
their athletic accomplishments. We continue to attend
sporting events and we continue to glue ourselves to
the television, watching these athletes perform, And,
what mest of us-do most of the time, is complain about
the money these people are making.
Sure, they. are providing a service to the American
people - they are entertaining us. And they are being
paid pretty darn well for that entertainment.
4 ow much longer is the American sports world
But when is the American sportsman going to open
his eyes and revolt against athletes like Tony Peters?
And when are the officers of these professional athletic
organizations going to do something to put a stop to
this kind of shenanigans?
Guys like Tony Peters are what a lot of American
kids want to grow up to be like. Professional athletes
are their heroes and they pattern themselves after
these people. Yet, we continue to wonder how one of
our own youngsters can possibly be guilty of drunk
driving or possession of drugs!
It’s high time something is done to these athletes who
think they have to get their ‘‘jollies’”” by taking drugs or
feel they need to thicken their wallets by arranging
cocaine sales.
After all, these people are in the American eye all
the time. They are supposed to be the voice of the
American sports world and we are supposed to be able
to respect them. The Tony Peters’ of the sports world
certainly aren’t Uoing much to command our respect,
are they?
- DOTTY MARTIN
50 shocked me.
How could Morticia Addams possibly die? She
was immortal when I was a kid. What happened?
Morticia Addams, the gruesome - yet eye-catching -
mother of the ever-famous Addams Family is gone, but
not to be forgotten.
I grew up with the Addams Family. They were like
baseball and apple pie when I was young.
The Addams Family was so real to me and my group
of neighborhood friends when I was a kid that we
transformed the large living room of my parents home
in West Wyoming to the spider-clad living room of the
Addams Family home and staged a play for our
parents.
; T he recent death of Carolyn Sue Jones at the age of
I remember our Morticia character well. She was
played by Betsy Prokopchak, one of my childhood
friends.
Betsy, who is now known as “Betsy Hide’' and who
has gone on to become musically well-known in
California, was perfect for the part. All it took was a
little baby powder to transform her long strawberry-
blonde locks into the ashy-looking hair of Morticia.
Betsy was tall and thin and did a great job of
carrying herself as Morticia did. A slinky black dress
and a cigarette holder were all the accessories needed
to dress the character.
Ah, those were the good ole’ days.
Morticia may be gone, but she will always remain in
the minds of those of us who grew up with her.
- DOTTY MARTIN
Surveys on the concerns of older
Americans show that fear of crime
is a major problem.
While fear of crime can lead to a
healthy attitude of self-protection,
unjustified fear can work as a
negative influence on your lifestyle.
It pays to be realistic about crime
and what kind of threat it poses for
you as an older citizen. Following
are a few facts to help you put
crime in perspective:
Older people are not victimized
more often than the rest of the
population, with a few exceptions.
Older people are more likely than
the rest of the population to be
victims of purse snatchings, mug-
Ar
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Dotty Martin
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y
gings, theft of checks from the mail,
and certain forms of fraud. °
The crimes that people of all ages
fear the most are crimes of vio-
lence, but they are the crimes that
happen least.
Most murders and assaults are
not by strangers, but are committed
by relatives or friends as the out-
come of a dispute.
Older persons are the least likely
of all age groups to be a victim of
violent crime.
Despite widespread fear, rapes
seldom happen to women over the
age of 65.
Crime prevention researchers
have identified certain steps to take
to reduce the risk of crime. Make it
harder for criminals and easier for
your peace of mind, but following
these simple rules:
Never carry a wallet in your back
pocket.
Don’t enter dark parking lots or
garages alone.
Don’t dangle your purse at your
side or leave it sitting on store
counters. In fact, don’t carry a
purse at all if you can avoid it. Tuck
money or credit cards in an inside
pocket or stitch a small cloth pocket
inside your coat.
When walking alone, stay clear of
shrubbery and parked cars. They
are convenient hiding places for
criminals.
Whenever possible,
errands with a friend.
Do not wait alone at deserted bus
stops. Carry bus schedules for the
routes you use most frequently and
avoid lengthy waits.
Be cautious about riding elevators
alone with strangers, even in your
own building.
Forget . about carrying lethal
weapons. An attacker may use it
against you.
If you become a victim of crime:
If you are confronted outdoors,
don’t attempt to resist. You may be
injured.
run your
Kipp rod Vi es
188K.
Still the same
Methodist Church is located on Church St.,
Only yesterday
50 YEARS AGO - AUGUST 11, 1933
Eighteen Wyoming Valley men who were searching
for huckleberries in Noxen became lost and hiked for
36 hours through the mountains until they reached a
cabin at Mehoopany Creek where they were given
directions.
Raymond E. Laux announced his candidacy for tax
collector of Kingston Township.
Deaths - Theodore Smith, Forty Fort; Mae Worthy,
Wilkes-Barre.
You could get - Stringless beans 3 cans 25c;
pineapple preserves 2-16 oz. jars 25c; Campbell’s
pure tomato juice 5c can; round layer coconut cake
25¢; White House Milk 5 tall cans 29c; Gorton’s
Codfish 2 cans 25C.
40 YEARS AGO - AUGUST 13, 1943
Fred B. Howell of Shavertown was granted a
patent from the U.S. Patent Office for an automotive
transmission gear shift-indicator. The device was
designed for use on semi-automatic transmissions
and its purpose was to improve the handling and
safety of the car.
Joseph G. Schuler, Mt. Greenwood Road, TireRs-
ville, was appointed chairman. of. Dallas. War Price
and Rationing Board.
Engaged - Margaret E. Jones to Pfe. John H.
Jewell; Anna Hardisky to, Sgt. Joseph Hudak;
Eleanor Brown to Allen Montross.
Married - Marjorie Wendell to Harry Boice.
Deaths - Kathryn Girvan, Dallas; Margueretta
Keil, Shavertown; Edith Davenport, Sweet Valley.
You could get - Smoked picnic hams 29c Ib.;
Canadian bacon 15¢ Y; 1b.; ASCO coffee 24c Ib.;
Nabisco Grahams 18c Ib.; sugar 5 lb. bag 32¢; milk 6
tall cans 54c; cucumbers 4-10c; shrimp 29c¢ can;
bluing 9c pt.
30 YEARS AGO - AUGUST 14, 1953
Lehman-Jackson-Ross Township joint school board
authorized the appointment of four teachers to the
district; Mrs. Clayton Bostic, home economics;
Beatrice Cragle, permanent substitute; Anne Bar-
rett, Latin; Doris Jane Rowlands, music.
meeting of Daddow-Isaacs Post 672. Joseph Drust
was first vice commander, Red Cockayne, second
vice commander.
Engaged - Phyllis Shields to Curtis I’. Byron.
Married - Ruth Haycox to Donald Besecker;
Charlotte Gregory to Raymond Kuhnert; Cecelia
Kasaba to A. Bruce Roberts; Dolores Adamchick to
Rudolph Ruiz.
Deaths - Daniel Hoover, Outlet.
You could get - Ground beef 39c 1b.; short ribs 39c
Ib.; veal roast 49c¢ 1b.; ducks 49c lb.; seedless grapes
19c 1b.; cantaloupes 19c¢ ea.; prune plums 4 cans $1;
Chicken of the Sea tuna 6% oz. can 35c.
20 YEARS AGO - AUGUST 15, 1963
Concerned over the safety of school children
crossing the dangerous Center Street intersection in |
Shavertown, Dallas School Board contacted state
representatives in an effort to-aid Kingston Township
supervisors make the crosswalk safer.
Three thousand spectators crowded the grounds of
Centermoreland’s Eighth Annual Auction. The ladies
of Centermoreland Methodist Church served 2,000
dinners.
Engaged - Carol Louise Bennett to Airman 1st
Class Allan B. Hobbs; Janet Marie Major to David S.
Stokes.
Married - Carol Story to Theodore Montross;
Sharon Lee Myers to Walter Lawrence MacPeek;
Irene Shultz to Norman Hope; Patricia Lee Meyer to
Willian Elliot Donaghue. ©
Anniversaries - Mr. and Mrs, Frank Ruggles,
Meeker, 70 years.
You could get - Round steak or roast, boneless, 75¢
Ib.; Cornish hens 39¢ lb.; Canadian Bacon 99¢ 1b.;
bananas 10c 1b. ; nectarines 2 Ib. 35¢; seedless grapes
19c 1b.; celery lg. bnch. 10c; watermelons 69c ea.
10 YEARS AGO - AUGUST 16, 1973
Leonard J. Mack, superintendent of the State
Correctional Institution at Dallas, announced his
retirement from the Bureau of Corrections.
Feeling the pinch of rising prices, local school
cafeterias raised their prices. The Dallas district
increased the cost from 35 cents to 40 cents in the
elementary schools and from 40 cents to 45 cents in
the secondary schools. Lake-Lehman increased their
lunches from 30 to 35 cents in the elementary schools
and from 35 to 40 cents at the secondary level.
Anniversaries - Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Wallace,
Mt. Airy Road, Shavertown 27 years.
Deaths - Elizabeth Coolbaugh, Orange; Claude
Seipler, formerly of Noxen; Jean Long, Trucksville;
Joseph Spudis, Harveys lake.
You could get - Lobster tails $2.49 1b.; Cornish hens
89c lb.; pork sausage $1.39 lb.; cantaloup-s 2-75¢;
tomatoes 39c 1b.; green peppers 25c¢ lb.; A&P coffee 3
Ib. can $2.39; mandarin oranges 4 cans $1; Zest 3
bars 29c.
Letters
DEAR EDITOR:
The state spending plan recently passed by the
General Assembly and signed into law by Governor
Thornburgh will provide the Commonwealth’s school
districts with increased financial support while spar-
ing the state’s citizens from excessively high taxes.
School districts would have been placed in dire
financiai straits if the legislature had not approved
the measure. For example, Northwest Area School
District would have had to increse property taxes by
51 mills to make up the loss of state monies.
It is important to note that one-half of the
appropriations in the budget goes toward education
and local school districts.
To me, an increase of .25 percent in the personal
income tax is fairer than the drastic increases in
property tax which would have been required if state
support had not been increased. Taxpayers would be
at a loss if they were forced to find a way to pay for
massive property tax increases.
A new subsidy formula which was also enacted will
boost state support for each school district by two to
nine percent over last year.
Following are the increases for school districts
serving the 117th legislative district:
CRESTWOOD AREA: 1982-83 subsidy - $2,146,889;
1983-84 estimate, $2,340,109; increase - $193,220. .
HANOVER AREA: 1982-83 subsidy - $2,378,718;
1983-84 estimate, $2,592,803; increase - $214,085.
LAKE LEHMAN: 1982-83 subsidy - $2,375,633; 1983-
84 estimate - $2,589,440; increase - $213,807.
NORTHWEST AREA: 1982-83 subsidy, $1,943,252;
1983-84 estimate - $2,118,145; increase - $174,893.
BENTON AREA: 1982-83 subsidy: $1,068,672; 1983-
84 estimate - $1,164,852; increase - $96,180.
BERWICK AREA: 1982-83 subsidy - $3,421,040;
1983-84 estimate, $3,728,934; increase - $307,894.
Why the need for revenue?
The Commonwealth suffered reduced revenues
during the recently closed fiscal year. Fewer individ-
uals paid taxes because fewer were working. Corpo-
rate profits declined, and of course, so did the
amount collected in Corporate Income taxes. Penn-
sylvania was one of 47 states in the nation forced to
deal with revenue shortfalls this year.
This budget was tailored for an economy on the
mend - an economy that will eventually provide more
jobs and revenue for the Commonwealth. With this in
mind, the personal income tax rate will recede to 2.35
percent on July 1, 1984.
SINCERELY,
REP. GEORGE C. HASAY
Letters policy
The Dallas Post encourages and invites its readers
to voice their opinions, complaints, and/or compli-
ments by participating in the ‘Letters to the Editor”
column.
Letters to the editor should be typed or written
legibly and addressed to ‘Editor, The Dallas Post,
Box 366, Dallas, Pa., 18612.”
Letters must be received by Thursday for publica-
tion the following Wednesday.
Names will be withheld upon request, however, all
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for verification.
Letters submitted without a signature or a telephone
number will not be published. |
ay
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