shed A Meke bein ped gut i wa) = C, mmo 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 10, 1990 Tie PALLASCP0ST Resolve to attend government meetings Congratulations and best wishes to all the public officials who were recently sworn in and appointed to boards and committees. By offering your time and services to your community, you are performing a vital function in our political system. As anyone who has attended municipal meetings knows, public officials often feel like the Maytag repairman of recent television ads - waiting for someone to call. Attendance at most meetings measures fewer than a handful, and those who are there usually have a particular ax to grind. Rarely does anyone attend out of the civic duty that should be a basis for our democracy. That is not to excuse officials when they seem to treat local government as their personal domain. That attitude is never acceptable. But it is inevitable that if the public shows little interest in its own government, the officials come to feel that only their opinion matters. As a new decade begins, we hope that citizens begin to show greater interest in their local government, not only by bringing criticisms forward but also by lending their time and expertise where it would do some good. In that way the perceived barriers that exist between government and citizens can be broken down, and communities will gain from the interest of all residents. Portable signs spoil region's appearance A casual observer driving the Memorial Highway from Shav- ertown to Harveys Lake might reach the conclusion that this is the portable sign capital of the world. The proliferation of yellow plastic signs on spindly metal legs gives the region the appearance of a depressed hondy tonk town where no one wants to invest in anything permanent. That's a shame, because the Back Mountain is a great place to be in business and could be far more attractive thanitis. It's likely that many of the signs don’t meet local or state sign regu- lations, and that permits have never been taken out for them. In that sense, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the growth of these eyesores. PennDOT says that Luzerne County will be the focus of its campaign to remove illegal signs from highway rights of way in 1990. That's a positive move. Another would be for local officials to see that sign ordinances are enforced and strenght- ened where necessary. The Back Mountain has attracted as residents many of the most affluent and tasteful persons in the region. It's time that the appearance of our public vistas reflected our standing as the county's most appealing residential area. Reducing the number of offensive signs would be a good first step in that direction. Nation must develop reliable nuclear power There was a time when it took an embargo or other external crisis to cause the price of oil to skyrocket. Now all it apparently takes is a few days of cold weather and a compliant United States government. While for most of us the runup in heating oil prices is an unwanted expense, for some it is a serious problem. Families that could barely afford to adequately heat their homes when the price was 70 cents per gallon find themselves unable to pay the $1.30 now charged. Industries and institutions that use oil for heating face a similar dilemma. Plans and budgets will be disrupted as other needed outlays must be put off to pay an escalating fuel bill. This latest episode is one more piece of evidence that nuclear power is the method of generation offering the most reliable supply to meet the nation’s energy needs in future decades. We reach that conclusion reluctantly because of the nuclear industry’s past performance, but the need for more and better nuclear development is inescapable. Many countries without easy access to natural resources have made far greater use of nuclear power than the United States has. Among them are Germany, France and Japan. But simply having gas and oil available domestically has brought no guarantee of their responsible use. Today, America imports as great a share of its oil as it did in 1973 prior to the Arab Oil Embargo. And the recent escalation illustrates the volatility of prices for oil. There's little difference in being held hostage by OPEC or Exxon. For all the protests against it, nuclear power has proven to be quite reliable and safe. New technology and the lessons of past mistakes can make it even more so. If America is to assure itself of a steady supply of power, it must make much greater use of the nuclear option. Regardless of how power is generated, one way to make the most of it is to conserve wherever possible. There was a healthy surge of interest in energy conservation after the 1973 oil crisis, when it seemed everyone was insulating attics and sealing windows. But that concern quickly disappeared as Americans adjusted to higher energy prices and tired of such mundane topics. Now energy prices, at least for those who use oil for heat, have taken another leap. As before the escalation is likely to be temporary, though any long-term comparison shows an un- mistakeable trend upward. Homeowners who were wise enough to take measures to conserve energy in their homes will gain some small satisfaction now. America has recently been in the habit of postponing future investment for present profit. Nowhere else could that attitude prove to be more damaging than in the supply of energy to heat our homes and power our factories. The prospect of a nation dependent on the whims of exporters and oligarthies is now more frightening than is the development of a comprehensive nuclear power industry. Of Outbuildings and woodpiles Backyard structures in Dallas Borough - reminiscent of the turn of the century. (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Only yesterday 60 Years Ago - Jan. 10, 1930 BUSINESS COMMUNITY GROWING FAST A.C. Devens buys Dallas Lum- ber Company, Brown & Fasset are building a new feed plant opposite Glen View Coal Company and Crisman Milling Company of Ber- wick is negotiating for the Adel- man property in Dallas to open a flour and feed mill. Dallas High School boys and girls basketball teams lose open- ing games to Hughestown teams. Former Chief of Police Edward Avery was named as borough police officer subject to call at the Dallas Borough reorganization meeting Monday night. Henry J. Disque, Machell Ave- nue, Dallas, was promoted to superintendent of the Buffalo District for the International Cor- respondence School of Scranton. 50 Years Ago - Jan. 12, 1940 DR. BROWN HONORED BY LEGION POST Dr. H.A. Brown of Lehman who brought 3,000 babies into the world was honored by the Dad- dow-Isaacs American Legion Post as citizen giving most distin- guished service to the commu- nity. Ronald Doll was named super- vising principal of Dallas Town- ship Schools to fill the position left vacant by the recent death of Maurice Girton. To wed - Virginia Johnson and Gerald W. Richard. Kingston Township, Dallas Township and Dallas Borough were running neck and neck slightly ahead of Lehman and Laketon in the second week of basketball play. Needles ply busily in area as women sew garments for war refu- gees. C.A. Frantz wasre-elected presi- dent of the First National Bank of Dallas for the seventh term. Ster- ling Machell was re-elected vice president. 40 Years Ago - Jan. 13, 1950 CONTROVERSY IN KINGSTON TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT Kingston Township School Dis- trict had another lively session Monday night when board mem- ber Frederick W. Anderson wrote a letter that James A. Martin be re- instated to the position as super- vising principal. Luzerne County Board of As- sessment increased the tax valu- ation of Natona Mills from $57,700 to $107,700 for the current tax year despite Dallas Borough and Dallas School Board filing peti- tions of objection. Engaged - Nadine Carichner and Alvin Good; Ruth Stookey and Carleton S. Rogers. Fairview and Lehman High School teams are tied for the lead in the Back Mountain High School League. 30 Years Ago - Jan. 14, 1960 FIRST INMATES TO ARRIVE AT PRISON Rural Building & Loan Associa- tion elected F. Allan Nichols as president of the association. The high command of the new State Correctional Institution in Jackson Township are preparing for the first contingent of inmates who will arrive later this month. Four of the eight men promoted at the reorganization of the board of Miners National Bank were from the Back Mountain. They were Homer Moyer, Gerald T. Mangan, Robert L. Jones and Richard F. Laux. Natona Mills expands produc- tion in the tricot department and will add about 25 employees to the current work force. : Westmoreland Mountaineers defeats Wyoming Area team 69- 44. Engaged - Mae Elaine Titus and William A. Vallrath, Jr.; Florence Kuniskas and Richard Sisco; Carolyn Goeringer and Robert H. Raymond. Wed - Evelyn Fiske and Gary Cooper. 20 Years Ago - Jan. 16, 1970 PG&W RECORDS HIGH- EST EXPLOSION RATE PG&W holds the record with at least 50 percent of all gas explo- sions in Pennsylvania in the last year occurring in the area serviced by their company. School buses in the area have been having a difficult time on local roads due to snow banks and poor conditions resulting from recent storms. A complaint of excessive chlori- nation, air in the lines and low pressure was made to the Kingston Township Water Commission in its meeting Jan. 8, relating to the area formerly served by the Still Water Company, now owned by the Shav- ertown-Dallas Water Company. Lake residents buy Sandy Beach from previous owners Sam and Alice Slimowitz. Easton downs Lake-Lehman * matmen 28-14. Engaged - Jean Marie Swales and Donald Williams. Wed - Kathleen Sublett and - James A. Marhefka. 10 Years Ago - Jan. 10, 1980 PRESIDENT NOTES DALLAS CENTENNIAL Presiaent James Carter sent a letter to the Dallas Borough Coun- cil congratulating the borough on its 100th anniversary. Phil Walter reappointed chair- man of the Dallas Township super- visors and Frank Wagner renamed vice chairman. Glenn Howell was also appointed secretary-treasurer for another term. Mountaineers win the title in their own Holiday Invitational Basketball Tournament by defeat- * ing Tunkhannock 71-60. Ronald A. Bartizek Editor and Publisher Peggy Young Advertising Acct. Exec. Paul Rismiller Composition Tie SDALLASC0ST Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Jean Hillard Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Charlotte E. Bartizek Associate Publisher Charlot M. Denmon Reporter Olga Kostrobala Classified/typesetting The Post asks: How did you conserve fuel in the cold spell? Lois Sayre Factory Worker Hunlock Creek “We have a log home which is Beverly Steltz Hairdresser Sweet Valley “We turned the heat down and well insulated. We did run our dressed warmer.” kerosene heater downstairs.” Rosanne Baily Self-employed Dallas “We burned the woodburner and fireplace and kept the temperature at the same degree as always.” James Eason Business owner Dallas “We plugged in our Pelonis heater which threw plenty of heat but burned very little electricity.” uy | \ fi \ J No L- \
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers