{4 \ a. I. aves = | Paul Rismiller ~ a EERE EE HY I. —— mr Yo A Bo A Be SAO Se iE Eee a ems ai fb / 4 ~The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, January 3, 1991 i Tie DaLLASTD0ST | It's time to tax fairly in Luzerne County 4 ~The 1991 Luzerne County budget contains no tax increases, - ~ butretains the onerous “personal property tax” on out-of-state investments. It also includes $1.1 million in revenues from the ~ sale of county-owned land in Drums, an item that also ap- peared in the 1990 budget. Luzerne County should eliminate these two revenue sources ~ andreplace them with a fair real estate tax based on up-to-date ‘assessments of property. Of course, such a move has been regarded as-political suicide, probably correctly. There hasn't been a reassessment of all property in Luzerne County for more than 60 years. But spot reassessment takes place every time a home is sold to someone other than a relative. That means if you've recently bought a home you are ; paying taxes on its current value while your neighbors pay based on outdated valuations. That's not only unfair, it has led ~ toabuse as properties are improperly transferred among family - members simply for the purpose of avoiding tax increases. ~The only remedy for this outlandish situation is state law 3 requiring reassessment at regular periods. Many states have adopted ten-year intervals as the most logical amount of time | between assessments. That makes sense, since so much can change in even one decade. Regular reassessment coupled with reasonable tax rates could be one of the key items in our region’s progress. When individuals and business leaders know they will be treated ~ fairly, they are more willing to make investments. But when a ~ new home or factory is burdened with taxes in order to preserve the status quo for others, the investment becomes less attrac- tive, and perhaps discouraging enough to drive the investor elsewhere. Like most municipal governments, Luzerne County will face increasing challenges to its effort to provide needed services to po Le ~ giits constituents. Being saddled with an outdated tax base will | make the delivery of those services more difficult. But political realism dictates that a change of this magnitude must be ini- iated at the state or even national level. H#America shouldn't be the world's cop | 4 ! "An increasing number of Americans are questioning our ‘nation’s role in the crisis in the Mideast, not because they think Saddam Hussein shouldn't be stopped, but because they ‘believe the United States should not play world policeman. ~ There ismerit in that argument; if nations that are closer to Iraq and more dependent on that region's oil are unwilling to commit more troops and money to the fight, why should we? In one sense, President Bush's quick action in meeting the threat posed by Saddam almost seems an extension of the ~ “noblesse oblige” side of Mr. Bush's character. comfort and affluence, Mr. Bush often espouses the belief that Raised in ‘he must repay his good fortune in service to the American people. At the same time, the President gives the impression that he and his operatives should be left alone to work their magic, since they are endowed with wisdom beyond that possessed by the general public. ~The danger in all of this is that the United States is quick to ‘take responsibility for saving the world while other nations sit back and enjoy the benefits without paying the cost. Does that mean the U.S. shouldn't pursue its goals in Operation Desert Shield. No, not at this point. But we would be wise to examine | future crises with a more pragmatic eye, or we may in fact 1B become traffic cops for the very nations that are eating our economic lunch. Ronald A. Bartizek ‘Editor and Publisher Peggy Young Advertising Acct. Exec. Tie DALLASCPosT Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Rich Johnson | Reporter Olga Kostrobala i iti ! Mgssi ~ Composition \ Jean Hillard Classified/typesetting » - Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Charlotte E. Bartizek Associate Publisher Charlot M. Denmon Reporter Winter wonderland (Photo by Charlotte Bartizek) Friends of the Library raise record total By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library Friends of the Library campaign for 1990 has reached a total of $8,966, the largest amount ever received for this campaign. The Friends are loyal members and patrons of the library who receive an informative letter in the beginning of each new year telling them of the on-going needs of the library financial picture. Any monetary contributions is accepted and is added to the Friends total. The Friends campaign is a major financial endeavor and is a main line item in the library annual budget each year. Our library is always happy to’ welcome new “Friends”. We havearegular over-due book calling policy in which we try to contact our borrowers when their books are one week overdue. One day last week a young boy was in with his mother returning an over- due book and said he was at home when the ‘library police’ called. That was his version of our re- minder call. We charge 10 cents a day for an‘adult and 5 cents a day for a childrens book; and we do try to remind our patrons of the over- dues before they become too late. The fine money collected during the year is also an important item in our annual financial budget. Our new system of handing out library cards to each patron is working out well and each new borrower will receive his number and card within a week after join- ing the library. We would urge borrowers to come in to the library and pick up your library card so you will have it to carry with you - and be ready to present it at the front desk when borrowing books. At the present moment, we have prepared 11,419 library cards, which is our current account of registered active borrowers. New books at the library: “In Pursuitofthe Green Lion” by Judith Merkle Riley takes place in the year 1356 when Margaret of Ash- bury, newly widowed and an heir- ess, hasbeen kidnapped and forced to wed. Her new husband is the un-frocked monk Brother Gregory, the younger son of the piratical, fortune-hunting de Vilers family. Margaret struggles tomake a home for her daughters among the fam- ily; but even the ghost is spiteful and unpleasant. “The Plains of Passage” by Jean M. Auelis the continuation of Ayla’s story. They set out on horseback across the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe. To the hunter- gatherers of their world, Ayla and Jondalar appear enigmatic and frightening. An astonishing novel of discovery, danger, and love. Letter Soldier says thanks for papers Editor, This is to say “thank you’ for ‘mailing your newspaper free of charge to us Dallas area soldiers serving in “Operation Desert Shield.” You can’t image how wonderful it is to read the news from home. I even enjoy the ads! I really appreciate it and think it's a nice gesture. We have re- ceived so many nice letters and packages from Americans every- where and it lets us know how much you care. God Bless you and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. SPC. Bonnie Futch Adams Dallas '78 Editor's note: The Dallas Post makes free six-month subscriptions available to local soldiers stationed with Operation Desert Shield. The subscriptions are made possible by United Penn Bank, which pays for them. | Anderson afield Oral rabies vaccine for raccoons may soon be available | By JOHN M. ANDERSON * Although humans don’t seem to tolerate other humans very well, iE there are some critters that seem to benefit from having us around. Raccoons, for example, back in the days when red men domi- nated North America, had to live in hollow trees, and scrounge up a ‘meal on frogs, crayfish, berries and such. Getting groceries and a ‘warm bed presented problems in winter. Consequently, they were not found north of our border. Likewise, Canada geese nested mostlyinCanada and had to make “do with millet, smartweeds, and wild grasses. Coyotes were really ‘abundant only in the West and Southwest. White-tailed deer could find very little to browse or graze on iin the deep shade of the virgin forest. They were confined to the forest edge or to openings created by blow-downs or fire. Today raccoons have spread into Canada and throughout the U.S. They find shelter in drainage tiles, outbuildings, and shade trees. They grow fat in the corn- fields, vineyards, pecan groves and vegetable gardens. Canada geese nest in backyard ponds throughout New England and New Jersey plus their original range in Canada. A breeding flock of Canadas can be established almost anywhere in the northern states. They have waste corn, wheatand rice to tide them overin the Midwest. They are common but unloved on golf courses. They even winter on the outskirts of New York City, along the Saw Mill River Parkway, for example. Because timber wolves were considered an enemy of the cattle and sheepmen, to say nothing of Little Red Riding Hood, they were wiped out over most of their entire range. The clever coyote, also an enemy of the sheepmen, survived an army of government trappers, hunters, and poison bait cam- paigns. And with the removal of his ancient competitor, the timber wolf, coyotes have spread across the lower 48, even into the North- east. The white-tailed deer finds the shrubbery, fruit trees, alfalfa fields and No-Hunting signs much to his liking throughout Subur- bia. Because rabies inraccoons have increased markedly in urban ar- eas of the mid-Atlantic states in the last decade, and because ra- bies can be fatal to pets and humans, the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA, is testing a bioengineered oral rabies vaccine. The test is under- way on Parramore Island on the eastern shore of Virginia. If conditions for safety and effi- cacy can be met, the vaccine should prove useful for immunizing wild raccoons. Inareas where the paths of dogs, cats, cows, ‘coons and humans cross and re-cross, any reduction in the incidence of ra- bies in the wild population makes our own habitat and that of our pets a little safer. Since itis anoralvaccine, there's - no need to live-trap the ‘coons. Itis simply placed in baits and distrib- uted on a 750-acre study site. Within 10 days, over 90 percent of the baits had been consumed. Pretrial laboratory inoculations in over 40 species of mammals and birds show a high degree of safety to target and non-target animals. Captive raccoons vaccinated with this product have developed a strong protection against rabies. Field work on Parramore Island will continue for a year. If it proves safe and effective, an oral rabies vaccine may then combat the spread of rabies, thus protecting the public and both domestic and wild animals from the disease right here at home. But keep your fingers crossed. The various animal rightists or- ganizations have declared that keeping laboratory animals in pens and using them for medical re- search denies those animals of their “rights”. Others say using animals for any human purpose mustt be stopped. Alex Pacheco, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Ani- mals (“PETA”) says, “Arson, prop- erty destruction, burglary and theft are acceptable crimes when used . for the animals’ cause”. Let's hope the likes of Mr. Pachecodon't getout to Parramore Island before the scientists develop a means of saving raccoons from rabies. John M. "Frosty" Anderson was Director of the Wildlife Department of the National Audubon Society from 1966 until his retirement in 1987. The Dallas Post encourages its readers to share their opinions with the community by writing a letter to the editor. All letters must be signed and include a telephone number so that we may verify their authenticity. We will not publish anonymous letters. Send letters to The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612. Poke / Only yesterday 50 Years Ago - Dec. 30, 1940 STUDENTS RETURN TO CLASSES AFTER BREAK A candlelight Communion Serv- ice was held at Trucksville Meth- odist Church for Christmas Eve. Marvin Elston, John Honeywell, Stanley Hoyt, Dana Campbell, Henry Shupp, and John Parsons of Kunkle have returned home from Indiantown Gap. Dallas Township and Kingston ~ Township students will return to classes January 2 but Dallas Bor- ough and Lehman students will not return to school until January 6. : Mrs. Joseph Wallo was named general chairperson of the Henry Laing Fire Company's Auxiliary card party to be held January 9. Harter basketball team defeated the Lehman High School cagers 30-21 in a hard fought battle on the Lehman cagers court. 40 Years Ago - Dec. 29, 1950 "WOUNDED SOLDIER RETURNS TO AREA Russell Honeywell who was discharged from the Barton Meg morial Building, Jefferson Hospi- tal, after two serious operations has arrived home and wishes eve- ryone a very Happy New Year. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Garin- ger celebrated their 20th anniver- sary with an open house and buf- fet supper at their Harveys Lake home. : Sigh Modern and Square dancing will be held at Kunkle Fire Hall, New Year's Eve, sponsored by the Kunkle Volunteer Fire Company. = Dallas cagers will play at Ply- mouth, Lake players will play Lehman; and Dallas Township will meet Kingston in league competi- tion, Jan. 9. Cine Mr. Eight Eighty starring Burl Lancaster is playing at the Himmler Theatre. a Robert Kemmerer, left for dead on a Korean battlefield, is makin progress at Bethesda Hospitalan@® has visited his home town, Shav- ertown. He was machine-gunned after seeing only 19 days of action. 30 Years Ago - Dec. 29. 1960 MEEKER SELECTED AS GIRL OF THE MONTH The Back Mountain region ex- periences arctic temperatures with p21 Six below was clocked in Dalla 18 degrees below at Pikes Creek. and in between were temperatures of minus 14 at Alderson, minus 10 at Laketon and minus 10 at Ide. town. 4 Local skiers report skiing condi- tions are the best in some years at the Denton Run west of Wellsboro and the renovated Elk Lake near Lenoxville. Donna Meeker was selected as | ‘School Girl ofthe Month’ by the Harveys Lake Women's Service Club. : Gerald Wagner, Lehman; James Kozemchak, Jr., Huntsville; and Joe Schneider, Dallas, are spend- ing two weeks in training at the _ Great Lakes Naval Training Stal tion. Fish Walt Disney's “Ten Who Dared” is playing at Forty Fort Theatre. 20 Years Ago - Dec. 29, 1970 AREA MEN TAKE SAILBOAT CRUISE Back Mountain road crew la- bored long and hard during the past two weeks keeping the roads and highways clear for the motor- ists. : Wilkes College announces the offering of home and school visitor graduate courses for the 1971 semester. The IRS announces changed i the tax laws for the 1970 income™ tax returns. GeorgedJacobs, Shavertown, and Charles Malkemas, formerly of Shavertown, left for a 16-week cruise of the Caribbean on wlalkemas’ 26-foot trimaron sail- boat. : : Mr. and Mrs. Albert Stitzer of Shavertown celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. Newly-wed Viola Blizzard Rob- bins was guest of honor at a bridal shower at the Lutheran Parish Hall. 10 Years Ago - Dec. 31, 1980 COUNTY LOSES NUMBERS IN CENSUS The Children's Museum, Forty Fort is sponsoring holiday open hours everyday through Jan. 4 = except New Year's Day, featuring one different and exciting work- shop each day. The Bureau of Census notifies Luzerne County that the county lost 4,724 in the 1980 census. Lake-Lehman Title 1 partici- pates in on-site evaluations by the Pennsylvania Department of Edu- cation whose team found the proj- . ect was in compliance with exist- ing federaland state E.S.E.A. regu- lations, instructions and policies. Lake-Lehman defeats Nanticok but loses to Crestwood. , Meyers defeats the Dallas Moun- taineers. 1 # i Pa a papa Cr oh Se) Raa « < ge
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers