EPS THE DALLAS POST/Wednesday, May 11, 198 Editorial/opinion Toe SDALLASCPoST A Publication of Pennaprint, Inc. DEBBY HIGGINS Editor DAVID F. CONNER General Manager Off the top t's worth mentioning, again Fiegelman says... Inside Pennsylvania BY DEBBY HIGGINS Post Editor There comes a time in every editor’s newspaper career, when the mind becomes a complete blank. Nothing falls into place and no earth- shattering ideas are forthcoming. Then there are other times when one idea won’t go away and the writer feels compelled to address the same issue over and over. Readers may find it annoying, but that subject matter may be so important that it must be brought to task in writing more thangonce. Today’s Off The Top is a good case in point. Litter. There have been several, recent articles and editorials in The Dallas Post about litter. But this writer feels that there can not be too much said or written about this problem in the Back Mountain and around the state. . A gentleman came into the offices of The Dallas Post last week seeking to inform the staff about the volume of garbage collected in a clean-up conducted in Kingston Township. This individual was totally awed by the numbers of people who were taking advantage of the availablility of dumpsters located in the township. He said 25 dumpsters the size of tractor trailers had been filled by Thursday of last week. And the clean-up campaign was running until Saturday. He felt it was his duty to report this newsworthy event because he said the persons who were involved with the clean-up needed to be recognized for their efforts. The man, himself involved with the campaign, said everyone worked long, hard hours to keep up with the public response to the program. ~ But, the person discovered or was enlightened to, a more disturbing fact. Because he was so amazed at the volume of garbage collected, he said he took a drive around some local roads and for the first time, noticed the unbelievable amounts of litter strewn from Kingston Township to Harveys Lake to Larksville. This, he said, he had never noticed before. . As if walking around with rose-colored glasses, many residents have overlooked the trash scattered along our roadsides, in fields, and everywhere inbetween. But the problem cannot be ignored for very long because it gets bigger every day. Annual clean-ups just can’t keep up; and landfills do not hold a panacea for the situation. - The entire issue has come to a head, but not many are seeing the forest for the trees. The problem of solid waste, stinks. And it appears no one really cares enough to do anything serious ‘about it on a long-term basis. Community-wide collections and road side clean-ups are fine. They do, indeed, serve a purpose. But residents, and local and state governments have obviously choosen to make only token efforts to fight the long-range problem. Grassroots movements by average residents directed to local officials who in turn should scream to state legislators to get Something done, now, What’s the problem here? BY RICHARD FIEGELMAN Special to The Post Everyone you speak to these days is concerned about the ‘‘home- less issue’. It has made headlines in every major publication and commanded airtime from all of the networks. My question - If every- one is so concerned about this issue, why is it that my wife and I are having such a tough time find- ing a place to live? I'd been plan- ning to do a study on the homeless for this week’s newspaper, when suddenly I was in danger of becom- ing a statistic myself. Here’s the story. In September, my wife and I moved to Dallas because we enjoy country living. The folks that rented us our house are nice people, but one of the stipulations of rental was that we couldn’t have a lease, and if one of their kids needed a place to live we were out. In late April, my wife and I were informed that one of their kids, in fact did need the house, and that ‘we would have to move. Initially disheartened because we were look- ing forward to summer in a place we had just begun calling home, we began our search for a house. Since our search started, we have met with nothing but stone walls and excuses. Let me tell you a little more. My wife and I are good people, conscious of other’s property and most important we both have well- paying jobs. I manage a large retail store and my wife works at the General Hospital. We have bank accounts, and can provide references, both business and acquaintance, as long as our arms. So what’s the problem you ask? Well I'll tell you. We have two dogs. So, you say, everyone loves animals. Well that’s what 1 thought, too. Several people who interviewed us were ready to rent us their apartment or house on the spot until I told them of our pets. In other words, they liked us, but dogs absolutely not. I was honest with them up front, but I guess that doesn’t count for much any more either. My wife and I took a responsible viewpoint, and offered to pay an extra security deposit for our “kids”, all to no avail. Folks, this is getting ridiculous. My animals are well-trained, as anyone who knows them will attest. People who rent will tell you it is just as likely for a tenant to smash all the -windows and put holes in the wall. This would not happen with Barri and me. Obviously, if I work 60 hours a week and still write this column I've got something going for me, and Barri’s as sweet as they come. All we're looking for is a reasona- ble house with a yard where we can put some roots down and be comfortable for the next couple of years. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. It irks me to use the power of the press to such advantage, but in desperation I have no choice. If there is anyone out there with a place available, who’s willing to give us a shot, it would be much appreciated. I reiterate, we are both employed, can provide refer- ences and would sign a year’s lease. We would do maintenance around the house if required. I think most people out there would be happy with us as tenants. If anyone is interested in helping out, please contact me through The Dallas Post. If I have a place to live, I can continue my study of others less fortuante, and maybe help them out, too. Thank you. See you next week... Rooney speaks is the only recourse. * Ww Stronger litter laws and stronger enforcement of those laws, a state- wide bottle bill, ~ mandatory recycling, and tighter control of the management of landfills will help. But initiative has to be unified and strengthened by many voices. It’s not valid to say, “What can I do about it. I'm only one person.” Remember, this is the United States, where the power of the people can make a difference. Remember Carrie Nation and Prohibition and Madaline Murray O’Hare and prayer in schools? It all stared with one person and one issue. The outcomes of those grassroots movements are at best, dubious, but they were accomplished. And that says something for this country and its people. It’s not too late. The system still works. All that’s needed is someone to start the shouting. Summer jobs available The nation’s positive economic picture is creating an increasing number and variety of opportuni- ties for summer job seekers, including college student and teach- ers. “But even with the favorable odds, students and others looking for summer work will have to use ‘some resourcefulness and initiative . to make the most of those oppor- tunities,”” said Mitchell S. From- stein, President and CEO of Man- power Inc., which expects to fill about 100,000 temporary job open- ings this summer. Fromstein offered some tips for summer job seekers: 1. Be Persistent. Don’t be dis- couraged if you haven’t lined up a summer job yet. Many firms haven’t completed their hiring. 2. Explore All Potential Job Sources: Newspaper ads are a good source of job leads, but not the only source. Ask relatives, teachers and friends; call major firms and inquire about openings; contact temporary help service firms; check with local government job service offices. 3. Contact Your Former Employ- ers: Firms like to bring back former workers who understand how their business operates, mini- mizing training requirements. 4. Look for Learning Opportuni- ties: present yourself as someone eager to learn; you may land a job where you can develop skills in word processing, computer opera- tion or general business practices. 5. Have Proper Legal Identifica- tion: This year, you must have a passport, Social Security card or pictured driver’s license to prove citizenship under the Immigration Law. Lack of identification will delay (your job search. Manpower Inc. annually provides employement to more than 700,000 people through its 1,400 offices worldwide. Take a look at this body BY ANDY ROONEY Special to The Post You look at your body for signs of deterioration. Most men notice a change when they get out of com. petitive, contact sports at the age of about 23. They have the sad feeling they’ve peaked already and will never be in such good shape again. A general deterioration becomes noticeable at 30. When I make a casualchecklist of body parts, I start at the top and work down. Right now I think my feet are going first. When I was 35 I noticed a slight thinning of my hair but there hasn’t been much change. I'm still a long way from being bald. My hair turned gray, but I don’t mind gray. I just spent two sessions with my dentist. He says my teeth are generally in good shape. I like an optimistic doctor of any kind, even if he lies a little. I don’t like a dentist who looks in my mouth, shakes his head and says, ‘Oh, oh.” My dentist finds good things to say. Last time he was drilling away and he said ‘‘Boy, you really have hard teeth.” I stand pain better when he flatters me. My face looks a little weather- beaten but it’s got a lot of good years left in it. My eyes are fine. I wear glasses if I have to. My ears are as good as new. I guess ears don’t deteriorate the way your eyes do. Almost everyone over 40 needs glasses, but only 3 million Ameri- Cans wear hearing aids. To tell the truth, most of us hear better than is absolutely necessary. Most of the sounds we're all exposed to every day are so loud that we could hear them just as well as with half our hearing ability. If my ears were ‘adjustable, I'd have the sound turned down most of the time. You never know about your heart. My doctor says my heart is OK, but, of course, a lot of people who die of heart attacks have just been reassured by their doctors that they’re in great shape. After the recent announcement about aspirin being good for poten- tial heart attack victims, I’ve been taking an aspirin a lot of nights before I go to bed. I don’t know what it’s doing for my heart, but my feet hurt less when I get into bed. My lungs must be in good shape because I can run on the tennis court without being winded. With the exception of one year when I got hooked on how much fun a pipe was, I’ve never smoked. I worried about my tongue with a pipe, not my lungs. f My legs are clearly in better shape than my feet, which seems unfair. My hands and arms are actually stronger than they were when I was younger because of all the woodworking I've been doing. Sometimes I think I'd be better off standing on my hands half the time and my feet the other half. There have been so many reports about people who start getting Alzheimer’s Disease when they reach the age of 60 that I worry about my brain. Every time there’s a name I can’t remember, I think I may have it. The only thing that saves me from real worry is that I can remember I never remem- bered anyone’s name when I was 20, either. As far as I can tell, my brain works as well as it ever did. I realize, of course, that statement makes me vulnerable to some smart remarks. Task Force could solve so many Back Mt. problems BY HOWARD J. GROSSMAN Special to The Post Can local governments survive into the 21 Century? While it is logical to assume that the answer to this question is yes, discussion of the question implies the statement ‘‘at what price?’ Local governmental officials deserve a tremendous amount of credit for the time and energy they give to a local elected position which is often only thought of by the electorate in negative terms and must be provided on a part time basis. The elected office) who receives phone calls late at night or early in the morning as “why snow removal has not taken place on my street” is the unsung Be or heroine and often is a forgotten person in the mainstream of American Government. vB While closest to the people, the local elected official does not get the recognition nor the reimbursement which the job entails. In fact it is a job glittering with criticism and one with extended responsibilities whether it be an elected official of a governing body or school district board member. In fact, the responsibilities are such that little time is left to do long-range planning or think about the way in which the community should assess its condition to meet the challenges of the future. When this burden is added to the fiscal problems facing local governments in light of the loss of general revenue sharing and the general cut back in federal support for local governments, it would seem desirable to encourage coMmunities to work closely together, especially those that have some common characteristics. Such is the case with the Back Mountain. Municipalities share common boundary lines for school district purposes. The Back Mountain Memorial Library serves all Back Mountain municipalities, the Dallas Area Sewt Authority serves a number of municipalities, representatives of the Dallas Area and Lake-Lehman School Districts and a blend of public appoint- ments of citizens representing various disciplines in the Back Mountain could assess the future of this major growth area of Luzerne County. Two magical dates are coming upon the nation which call for a reassessment of the future. The first date is 1992, which represents the 500th Anniversary of the discovery of America. The second special date is the year 2000 and an opportunity to plan now for what the future might hold by that year and in fact to think beyond the year 2000. In an assembly of communities such as that which exists in the Back Mountain with common characteristics of growth and representing the major focal point for new residential development in Luzerne County, much can be accomplished by a Task Force which can address the current conditions, examine and assess the needs, and suggest ways to meet these needs and to cope with long-range planning and development factors which will dictate the shape of things to come in this part of the County. What may happen would be a pioneering effort in which the Back Mountain could serve as a model for Northeastern Pennsylvania b’ establishing such a Task Force and creating new opportunities for positive and sound development management strategies. which would have significant impact on the way in which this key County cluster will meet its obligation in the 21st Century. Here are some ways in which the formation of a Back Mountain Task Force on the Future can take shape. 1. A group of citizens of local governmental officials join together to initiate the formation of the Task Force. 2. A statement of Mission and Goals is established, publicized and comments received on appropriateness. 3. Each local government adopts a resolution supporting the establish- ment of the Task Force and charging it with the Mission and Goals statement and a time by which a report is to be issued. 4. The Task Force is officially established through recognition od governments and school districts and joined by representatives of the private sector thus establishing a Back Mountain public-private sector partnership. 5 Various committees are appointed from the Task Force to study an¢™, recommend actions relating to the future of the Back Mountain. = 6. A series of public meetings are sponsored by the Task Force at appropriate times in order to obtain views on various issues relating to the future of the Back Mountain. 7. Following the assembly of information and public comment relating to the work of the Task Force and appropriate research, the Task Force issues a report with recommendations and includes suggested organiza- tions and agencies who should carry out the recommendations. 8. A public hearing or meeting is held in which the report is discussed for final public comment. 9. The Task Force continues an operation to assist in carrying out the recommendations which have been agreed to in the final report. While variations of the above undoubtedly can take place, the process by which assembly of local governments, school districts, and a private sector join together to examine the future can be one of the most positing, and constructive actions ever taken in the history of the Back Mountain Looking toward the future is a job which should be done in every community, area, county, region, and state of the nation. Taking the steps to accomplish this at a level such as the geography which constitutes the Back Mountain of Luzerne County would be a momentus and meaningful step in encouraging similar actions across Northeastern Pennsylvania and the entire nation. Post letters Dear Editor: Cub Scout Pack 232, Gate on Heaven Church, Dallas would like to thank the Dallas Acme and its patrons for making our bake sale a success. The sale netted over $100 which will be used to help offset the cost of the pack trip to Wil- liamsport. The winner of the Mother’s Day silk floral arrangement was Clair Marie Faillace Assistant Cubmaster Don’t let your club be left out. Send us the dates for your upcoming meetings and we’ll make sure everyone knows about your organization’s activities The Post asks: “How will you honor your mother this Mother's Day” TRISH FRIED - Trish Fried General Hospital Pathology Harveys Lake “I'll give her some money and cards and give her some lobster to keep in the fridge - she works odd hours and often eats alone, and she’ll enjoy the lobster whenever she wants.” ° ROGER THOMAS Roger Thomas Architectural Designer Elmcrest “I’m gonna get rid of my sister.” KIRK BLACKBURN Kirk Blackburn Truck driver Pittston “With flowers and a card.” FRANK PADROZAS Frank Padrozas Truck driver Pittston “She’s deceased, so it'll be a bouquet of flowers at her cemetery plot.” MARK EVAN JOE UZDILLA Mark Evans Joe Uzdilla Sales Representative Daring’s employee Drums “We, my brother and two close friends, cook dinner for our moth- ers and wives. This year it'll be spaghetti.” Sweet Valley “I'll get her cake and flowers and give her money, I love you, Mom.” McGovern. ig
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