Se ¥ 4 hi NN I li i i SB OMG Lv CT OC A SG a Bn SM Fl 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 13, 1989 Tie SDALLASC0ST More prevention needed in drug 'war While the “war” on illicit drug use may be fought in Washing- ton and Colombia, this week's stories by Post reporter Scott Davis points out that battles are taking place even in the Back Mountain. It seems to us that the prospects for success lie much closer to home than President Bush's plan to fight drug abuse assumes, and more in preventing use than in punishing it. History suggests that prohibition alone is not successful, America’s experience with alcohol in the 1930's being a prime illustration. We would much prefer a greater emphasis on the treatment of current drug users who want to quit - and there are plenty of them - and more support of education programs for those who could become the users of the future. Like so many other attitudes, a responsible outlook on drugs ‘begins at home. Yet, how many parents can identify the signals ~ children send when they are vulnerable to the siren song of the drug pusher? Not many, and fewer still know how to respond. Drug education must include the whole family, not just school children. And it must incorporate the causes - not just the symptoms - of drug dependency. Why do some people throw away their lives in a fog of drug or alcohol dependency, when so many others don’t? One reason is because they don't believe life offers much hope for happiness or success. One who has hope is less likely to risk losing their dreams to pills or booze. Of course, this little bit of popular psychology is hardly enough to explain the rise in drug use in our nation. And we shouldn't forget that the vast majority of us are not dependent ‘on chemicals to make it through the day, or stealing cars to pay for our habits. But America has a serious drug problem and it’s not getting better. We urge all citizens to take the time to learn all they can about the causes of drug and alcohol abuse, and how to offer some help to those caught in its grip. School strike should be avoided at all costs We hope that calling in a fact finder will avoid a strike in the Lake-Lehman school district this year. There is hardly any- thing more disruptive to the community than a strike in its schools. Teachers’ unions have become more aggressive in their demands in recent years, ‘as the value of their service has gained currency. At the same time, it seems politicians and the public have been overcome by a wave of anti-tax sentiment that has swept the country. Those two factors collide frequently, often resulting in job actions that disturb the education of ~ children and the equilibrium of the community. When the fact finder has done his job, the teachers and administration will have 10 days to accept of reject his recom- ~ mendations. If either party rejects them, the report becomes ~ public, and the parties then decide whether to continue ~ negatiations or take action. We hope both sides will weigh heavily the cost of a strike in the Lake-Lehman distict, as they assess the fact finder’s work. Valdez oil ‘cleanup’ ‘may be impossible It has been six months since the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and Exxon fo &) is preparing to declare its cleanup of the damage finished. From all we have seen and read, that assessment is wildly ~ optimistic, at best. According to federal wildlife experts, the spill could affect as many as 400,000 birds and animals in the region. Already, 146 bald eagles, 33,000 seabirds and 980 sea otters have been ~ found dead around the sound. In addition, salmon fishermen have caught only hall the expected number of fish this sum- 2 mer. - Even Exxon is reluctant to say the beaches around the sound ~ are clean, instead substituting the euphimism “environmen- ally stabilized” for anything stronger. And, despite the assur- ances of Coast Guard officials that the company has done all : it could, Alaskan state officials and fishermen are vocal in their disappointment in the result. Perhaps the lesson of the Valdez disaster is this: Instead of trying to clean it up, don't let this happen again. Exxon may infact have done everything that could be done to clean up the mess. gallons of crude oil from 1,100 miles of rocky shore. It's probably just not possible to remove millions of What we need is not better cleanup technology, but a strong and consistent response from our governments - federal, state and local - in the form of regulations that force companies that handle potentially hazardous materials to do so in the safest possible way. In this day of deregulation, this is one area that could use a lot more. Our future can't afford any less. The Dallas Post Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Editor and Publisher Charlotte E. Bartizek Associate Pu blisher Charlot M. Denmon Reporter Edward Kraynak Advertising Acct. Exec. Olga Kostrobala Classified/typesetting Jean Hillard Office Manager Paul Rismiller Composition MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Calming down The waters of Harveys Lake at the Sunset Marina are serene after a summer filled with activity. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Library news Register 3 to 5-year-olds for story hour this week By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library is featuring an unusual display of “Nerfuls” in the display case at the library. I, for one, had never heard of Nerfuls, but here they are. They are borrowed from Bridget Baines, who is 9 years old and in fourth grade at the Westmoreland Grade School. These Nerfuls begin with a round ball, then you add a set of feet, and finally a hat or hair piece, and you have a Nerful. The feet and head toppings are interchangeable with the different balls. The hat which is placed on the Nerful determines the sex. Bridget has been collect- ing these for five years and she has all the items except the fire station. Evidently the company that makes these is no longer manufacturing them. The display includes a po- lice station, camper, home and pet store; along with a chair and a bed and a popper that pops the balls out for play time. There are two cars, wagons, skateboards, a tri- cycle along with all the Nerfuls doing different things. Each of the buildings has a slide, there is a cafe on the police station with policemen inside and Captain Nerful in charge. There is a swing on the camper and a tow rope on the home. Speedy is on a tricycle and Spud is riding a skateboard. Other Nerfuls include Katie, Frankie, Bart Ball, Betty Ball, Betsy, Scratch and Fetch. This makes a very colorful display and is almost perfect for the month of September. This display and these Nerfuls will welcome visitors Octo- ber 4th. The children’s room will be tak- ing registrations for Story Hour for three to five year olds during the week of September 11 through the, 15th. Story hour Fall session will begin October 4. There will be a Toddler two year old story time beginning soon. Further informa- tion on these story times may be obtained at the library. New books at the library: “Sins Of the Father” by Nick Taylor is the true story of a family running from the mob. It is the riveting story of a wiseguy who left the Mafia and tried to find a new life with his family. It tells of Sal's undercover work on behalf of federal authori- ties. His efforts helped the govern- ment convict a corrupt judge in Queens. This is about a mobster who changed allegiances, who was and remains, a loving father. “Summer Of '49" by David Hal- berstam is a journey through the 1949 pennant race, in which two legendary rivals, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, battled down to a winner-take-all final game of the season. At that time, baseball seemed at the very center of American life. The story captures human drama with rare intimacy. Letters invited may be included in that week's issue. The Dallas Post encourages readers to share their opinions with the community by writing a letter to the editor. All letters for publication must be signed and include a telephone number so that we may verify authen- ticity. We will not publish anonymous letters. Send letters to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612. Letters received by Noon on Monday ‘Only yesterday 50 Years Ago - Sept. 15, 1939 GOVERNOR DEDICATES DALLAS HIGHWAY Governor ArthurJames will take part in the dedication of the Luzerne-Dallas Highway. Haunted by the memory of the World War's 86 cents lb. butter and $1.00 dozen eggs, housewives caused food prices to rise when they feared a shortage of certain foods in the stores. Motorcycle races thrilled the crowds at the Dallas Fair in the Fall of the year about 20 years ago. The final Fair was held in 1918. Wed - Rose Nafus and Stanley Levitt Jr.; Charlotte Adams and William P. Condell Jr.; June Evans and Howard Ray Hughey. Dallas Township High School football season to open its season tomorrow afternoon at Ed- wardsville. 40 Years Ago - Sept. 16, 1949 GROUND BROKEN FOR PRINCE OF PEACE The Rt. Rev. Bishop Frank W. Sterrett, Bethlehem Diocese, as- sisted by Rev. William R. Williams, broke ground for the beginning of the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church. Atty. Robert Fleming was ad- mitted to the bar to practice law before the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County. A Scranton dress factory owner is seeking a factory site in Dallas. Lehman High School football team opens its season tonight at Tunkhannock. Engaged - Mary Theresa Arnt and Edward J. Petty; June Doris Brown and Warren W. Hoover; Doris Marie Gramley and Stanley Lane. Wed - Barbara Updyke Cotan- che and Claude Williams Jr. 30 Years Ago - Sept. 17, 1959 NEW DEVELOPMENTS PROVE POPULAR Henry W. Peterson received the American Legion's Distinguished Service Award for the Community Service at the Dallas Legion's Americanism Night. Prince of Peace Episcopal Church plans a smorgasbord open to the public for October 10. Engaged - Margaret Lyons and Robert E. Newell; Gladys Louise Cook and Dean P. Kile; Jacqueline Hinkle and Ross Bartleson. College Manor and Midway Manor developments are over- whelmed by the tremendous crowds of visitors. 20 Years Ago - Sept. 18; 1969 CATHY WILSON NAMED WORTHY ADVISOR Busing students inside the one and a half mile radius was dis- missed by Dallas School District's transportation committee chair- man Andrew Kozemchak due to the budget. Lehman Township supervisors called for a complete audit of funds earmarked for the construction of an equipment building in Lehman Township. Dallas Sewer Authority goes after a grant because economic conditions make it impossible to market abond issue at the present time. ~ Cathy Wilson is named Worthy Advisor of the Dallas Rainbow Girls Assembly. Engaged - Erma Sutton and Paul Stark. Wed - Kathleen Carol Havilangs and Henry Hess, Jr. Dallas High School football team wins its opener with West Side Tech. College Misericordia opened its 46th year. 10 Years Ago - Sept. 20, 1979 SEWAGE WOES AT POWDERHORN ESTATE Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Lake-Noxen School will be Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m. Powderhorn Estates residents worry about the future of their ‘sand mound’ sewage systems. Kingston Township superviso To appear to reject medial protests of Route 309 from local residents. Kenneth Williams resigns from the Lake-Lehman Board following alleged harrassment by director Edward Mark. Engaged - Brenda Waugh and Dennis R. MacBain. Dallas Junior Woman's Club to hold art auction. Eleanor Rodda named coordi- nator of the Mercy Informations Center at the Provincial House i Dallas. Coach Hisiro's Knights defeat Dallas Mountaineers 14-7 to take . home the ‘Old Shoe’. &/ 54 Report from Harrisburg Here is a summary of important events that occurred on Capitol Hill recently from Rep. Scott Di- etterick, 120th Legislative District. WORKER'S RIGHTS BILL - At a pre-Labor Day press conference this week, Rep. David W. Heckler (R-Bucks) said he will introduce legislation to put democracy in the public workplace. He said his bill would protect the rights of rank- and-file workers in the public sec- tor and provide for increased open- ness and disclosure by unions representing public-sector employ- ees. Heckler's proposal, the Union Democracy Act, would require elections every four years for con- tinued union representation, al- low workers to join the union or remain independent, make union meetings public to all employees and modify existing fees for serv- ices provided to individuals by unions. MANDATORY DRUG EDUCA- TION PROPOSED - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the state attorney general this week announced legislation which would require drug education courses beginning in kindergarten and continuing through high school. The bill. - would require students & receive 30 to 120 hours of class- room instruction each year on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse as well as the importance of “law- abiding behavior”. Letters Thanks Misericordia for help Editor: We would like to take this op- portunity to publicly thank Col- lege Misericordia and especially John T. Howe, Athletic Director, for allowing the Fellowship Evan- gelical Free Church of Dallas, the use of their softball field for our home games. The Christian Fellowship soft- ball league would also like to thank the college for the use of the field for their softball tournament. James Reese Fellowship Evangelical Free Church Softball Team. The Post asks: Do you think the President's plan to fight drug use will be effective? Mae Foltz Dallas “I think he is doing great.” Paul Skiro Wilkes-Barre “There should be more of a bal- ance on stopping drugs from en- tering the country and treating the addicts in the country.” Beth Sochor Dallas “I think more than half the money should go toward rehabili- tation.” Karen Parlacoski Dallas “I do not think he's going to stop drugs from entering the country.” i { :
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers