will help everyone
As Harrisburg was emptying out for its annual July 4
legislative recess this year, Governor Thornburgh was
signing a landmark piece of legislation affecting the
way your local officials conduct business. This legisla-
tion, the “Sunshine Act,” takes effect the first of the
year.
With the stroke of a pen, the governor ended an
intense nine-year lobbying effort by news media and
citizens’ groups to set new ground rules for local
government decision-making.
The effort was well within the newspaper industry,
and closely followed by all the local government
organizations whose members were to be affected by
any changes. It’s important now that the public be
aware of what is happening.
The legislature has taken a great leap forward to
guarantee public access to local government delibera-
tions. We in the newspaper industry certainly hope
more citizens will take advantage of this access.
This, after all, is what ‘‘Sunshine’’ is all about.
Previous law required only that voting and formal
policy-making occur in open session. Discussions and
deliberations leading up to formal votes were fre-
quently conducted in closed ‘executive sessions’ or
“work sessions.”
It is important to note that not all boards and councils
were abusive. Many valued the importance of public
input and went out of their way to stimulate greater
public involvement. However, there were some who
took undue advantage of legal loopholes, and the
legislature has not made a definitive statement that
such abuses must end.
The new law, it must be emphasized, is a compro-
mise. The legislative battle was lengthy and interesting -
because both sides were fearful. On the one side were
citizen and media groups fearful that any ‘loose
wording” in a new law would be unduly exploited.
Municipal governments, on the other hand, worried
that overzealous reform might completely tie their
hands. Understandably, officials wanted to be able to
discuss sensitive personnel issues, such as hiring
decisions and labor negotiations strategy, in private.
They did not want to be penalized for gathering
socially, or for attending a convention or background
briefing.
And they wanted protection from purely vindictive
behavior by disgruntled citizens. It is hard to govern
without offending, and officials did not want Sunshine
being used as a weapon by people with hidden agendas.
Credit must be given to the two senators who
understood theneed to reconcile the two fears by
coming up with compromise language. Sen. Robert
Jubelirer, R-Altoona, worked hard to ensure that the
Sunshine reform effort stayed alive. Sen. J. Doyle
Corman, R-Bellefonte, agreed with the need for reform
and worked to temper the law with protections for
municipal officials.
At present, all camps seem satisfied with the changes
which are coming. PNPA has been holding meetings
statewide for reporters and editors. Our theme is to
stress cooperation. We want our people to help local
officials make the democratic process work.
The local government associations have also been
emphasizing the need to accept change and accommo-
date the new law.
Our president, Bob Buckley, president of Gateway
Press in Monroeville, said it well when he commented:
“Our goal was to open up the decision-making process,
not hamstring local officials. We believ ‘he system
works best when people know what the op. .ons are and
who favors which action. They can then vote and
participate more intelligently.”
The public has a great tool in the new Sunshine law,
and we hope it will be used well in the days to come.
Raymond C. Jones
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association
Touch of love means a lot
Once again the holiday season fills our hearts with
warmth and goodwill. For those of us who spend the
holidays with loved ones, it is a blessed and joyful time
of year.
But not everyone enjoys such good fortune. That is
why, now perhaps more than during any time of the
year, America’s volunteers are needed and appreciated
throughout the United States.
As the director of ACTION, the federal domestic
volunteer agency, I know how much the touch of love
and joy means to each person who comes in contact
with our volunteers.
The 5,320 Senior Companions who offer daily attention
to the frail elderly, the 19,000 Foster Grandparents who
give guidance and affection to children with special
needs, the 365,000 Retired Senior Volunteer Program
(RSVP) volunteers who fulfill every conceivable need
through community organizations and agencies - these
older Americans know that during the holiday season,
the extra hug, the attentive ear - every tender gesture
gives comfort and hope to those in need.
Donna M. Alvarado
Director of ACTION
Washington, D.C. 20525
Holiday
happy and jolly.
friend.
Toby
COLEMAN
a traditional part of the ritual.
Year.
THANKS TO A GROUP of OB
nurses from Nesbitt Memorial
Hospital for helping to put me in
the Christmas spirit.
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1 HAVE TO ADMIT IT - When
it comes to Christmas time, I
am quite the Scrooge. I never
used to be like that until after
my mother passed away in 1981.
Christmas just never seemed
the same.
And, instead of forcing myself
to enjoy Christmas, it was
easier for me to dread its
arrival.
-0-
THIS YEAR, however, some
of my nurse friends decided to
get together and go Christmas
carolling - something I had
often thought of doing but never
really got around to doing.
I was invited to go along with
them last Friday and I can’t tell
you how quickly you get in the
spirit of Christmas when doing
some good for your fellow man-
kind.
-0-
WITH TWENTY OF US clear-
ing our throats and leafing
through our song books, we
piled into two vans and started
on our way.
-0-
BACK MOUNTAIN RESI-
DENTS among us were Shirley
Wilson, of Beaumont; Maureen
Banks of Trucksville; her three
daughters, Holly, Tracy and
Becky; and their friend, Ann,
who wore a coat that said
‘“‘Beth.”’ (She said the coat
belonged to her sister, but I
really think she was pulling my
leg.) Also amongst us was
Sister Mary Catherine Winter,
RSM, who resides in Kingston
of Mercy, Dallas.
-0-
OUR FIRST STOP was the
dialysis clinic across the street
from Wilkes-Barre General Hos-
Dotty
MARTIN
pital where Janet Brown, of
Centermoreland, was undergo-
ing one of her three-times-a-
week treatments.
Janet, you’ll remember, made
the news when she underwent a
kidney transplant at Geisinger
Medical Center in Danville
while her son, Carl, was under-
going reconstructive heart sur-
gery in Arizona.
Unfortunately, Janet’s kidney
transplant was -not as success-
full as we had all hoped it would
be and she has been forced to
return to dialysis treatments.
-0-
AS WE SANG to the approxi-
mately 20 dialysis patients in
the clinic that night, it was
humbling to think these people
must sit for 4 1/2 hours three
times a week, undergoing these
treatments.
And, although the treatments
reportedly make them feel
better, it is a very tiring experi-
ence for all of them. I'd like to
think, however, that our Christ-
mas carols (as flat as we may
have sounded) brightened their
spirits just a bit.
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OUR SECOND STOP was the
lobby of General Hospital where
we paged a resident doctor who
was known by the Nesbitt
nurses. Seems this guy is also a
Scrooge when it comes to
Christmas so the girls thought
they’d try to cheer him up a
little.
And it worked - after listening
to two songs sung by the group,
the young doctor asked to hear
“Silver Bells” and joined right
in with the singing.
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THE RETIRED SISTERS OF
MERCY were more than
thrilled to hear our Christmas
carols later that evening.
With approximately 165 sisters
residing in the Mercy Center,
we had quite an audience for
our singing and, when Sister
Raymunda stepped off the ele-
vator and broke into a dance
that resembled the Irish Jig, we
were even more in the spirit of
things.
Sister Raymunda, who walked
through Mercy Center with us,
singing and dancing, informed
us as we were leaving that she
recently celebrated her 91st
birthday - something not many
of us could believe. But how
could we possibly dispute a
nun?
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WE WERE WARMLY
ACCEPTED at the remainder of
our stops which included friends
and shut-ins - all of whom were
thrilled to see us and graciously
listened to our ‘‘trying’’ voices.
ALL IN ALL, it was a good
feeling. It was what Christmas
is all about - sharing, caring
and making people feel good
about themselves and about the
Christmas season.
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A VERY DEAR FRIEND of
mine sent me a Christmas card
which I found to be very unique.
When 1 attempted to share it
with some other friends, how-
ever, they had seen it before.
At the risk of offering you
something you are already
aware of, I would like to share
the story that appears on this
card with my readers.
It goes like this:
He was born in an obscure
village, the child of a peasant
Letters
Tie SDALLASCPoST
A Publication of Pennaprint, Inc.
J. STEPHEN BUCKLEY
Publisher
DAVID F. CONNER
General Manager
DOTTY MARTIN
Editor
DEAR EDITOR:
I recently read an article in
another newspaper of someone’s
opinion about the Christmas
tree at the Dallas Post Office.
This person stated they
thought the tree looked ridiculo-
lus with all that ‘‘garbage”
hanging on it.
My reply to that person’s com-
ment is this: ‘Beauty is in the
woman. He grew up in still
another village, where he
worked in a carpenter shop until
he was thirty.
Then for three years he was
an itinerant preacher. He never
wrote a book. He never held an
office. He never had a family or
owned a house.
He didn’t go to college. He
never visited a big city. He
never traveled two hundred
miles from the place where he
was born. He did none of the
things one usually associates
with greatness. He had no cre-
dentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three when
the tide of public opinion turned
against him. His friends ran
away. He was turned over to his
enemies and went through the
mockery of a trial. He was
nailed to a cross between two
thieves.
While he was dying, his execu-
tioners gambled for his clothing,
the only property he had on
earth. When he was dead, he
was laid in a borrowed grave
through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen centuries have come
and gone, and today he is the
central figure of the human
race and the leader of man-
kind’s progress. All the armies
that ever marched, all the
navies that ever sailed, all the
parliaments that ever sat, all
the kings that ever reigned, put
together, have not affected the
life of man on earth as much as
that
One Solitary Life.
-0-
WITH THAT THOUGHT IN
and for this year. May the New
Year bring only health and hap-
piness to you and your families.
(Dotty Martin is the Editor of
The Dallas Post. Her column
appears regularly.)
garland and yogurt cartons
taking the shape of bells.
1 see smiling, happy faces
working together in the spirit of
friendship and love.
There are rosy cheeks and
frosty noses as these same
young children work together
with the help of deducated vol-
unteers to show the community
they care.
PEGGY POYNTON
DALLAS
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The
Christmas tree at the Dallas
Post Office is decorated every
Jour by Back Mountain Brown-
es.
9