4 The Dallas Post RRS } / \ Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 3, 1991 Tie SDALLASCPoST More cars, more trucks, more growth, but controls needed It may fit the classic description of “a blessing and a curse.” Route 309 is scheduled to connect directly with Interstate 81 in just a few months, bringing new convenience to motorists who want to travel from the Wilkes-Barre area and south to the Back Mountain and beyond. What has been an irritating 20 minute or longer trek through heavy traffic will now take less than 10 minutes, all of it spent on a limited access roadway. The highway’s completion will lead to substantial change in the Back Mountain. For starters, thousands more cars and trucks, especially trucks, will use Route 309 each day. Truck- ers who are heading north or south of Wilkes-Barre will find 309 is now the fastest way toreach Interstate 81 and eventually ~ 80. Many also know that taking Route 118 west from Dallas and later rejoining Interstate 80 will bypass a weigh station. Now it will take much less time to reach 118. Trucks heading south will gladly take Route 29 from Tunkhannock, then 309 to the interstates, rather than fight traffic in Clarks Summit. Easy access to the interstate highway system could mean other changes here. Suddenly businesses that wouldn't con- sider locating an office or plant in the Back Mountain will find their biggest objection removed. That could lead to commercial 1 development on a scale beyond anything the region has ever seen. That's not necessarily bad; we could use more steady, good-paying jobs right here. But it means increased pressure .onresources like water supplies, which are already threatened by the chaos and lack of oversight. And more residential development is assured, both in a continuation of the past several years growth and spurred by the highway system. hese are happy problems, compared to those faced by communities with declining populations and crumbling busi- ness districts. But our growth will not come cheap, nor should it. Back Mountain communities must take charge of their future by reviewing ordinances carefully, and by working together to develop a master plan that will encourage develop- ment while protecting as many of the area’s attractions as possible. If we don't start doing a better job of that, the area risks becoming an ugly hodgepodge of uncoordinated develop- for everyone. ment. That would lower both its esthetic and financial value U.S. cars better, makers should stop whining Those poor relations, the American auto manufacturers, are at it again, traveling to Washington to beg for protection from the Japanese. Seems they just can’t keep up with the imports (many of which aren't imports any more), so they want restric- ‘tions on how many can be brought into the country. They also asked that Congress not impose higher fuel mileage standards, -melodramatically claiming that such requirements would mean ‘the death of the domestic industry. bo Instead of resisting higher fuel efficiency standards, auto manufacturers should be sinking research What hogwash. money into alternative fuels and high mileage powerplants. The fact is, if Congress hadn't imposed mileage standards on - U.S. auto makers in the 1970's, they'd probably all be out of ; business because they wouldn't have responded to the market. ~ American cars are now better than they've ever been and in many cases present equal or better value than imports. But we won't make further progress by hiding from the competition. Nor should the buying public be asked to accept less than the ~ best from our companies. Ronald A. Bartizek Editor and Publisher Tie DALLASCoST Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Peggy Young Charlot M. Denmon Advertising Acct. Exec. Reporter CA Rich Johnson : Paul Rismiller Reporter Olga Kostrobala Composition 3 Classified/typesettin P Jean Hillard yp 8 Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Inc. Charlotte E. Bartizek Associate Publisher Sure sign of spring (Photo by Maria Sawka) | etter to the editor Proposed group home 1s not a business Editor: I couldn't help but sadly note the irony existing between two of your front page stories printed March 27. The headline of one story describes students greeting an operation dessert storm pen pal while the other story highlights a neighborhood protesting a future group home. In one story, stu- dents raised banners in welcome; in the other, neighbors unite to exclude. - The article explains that the neighbors are “against the group home because it is a business in an R-1 area; not because of the residents.” I assure you that to the men and women who will call this house their home, this building will not be a business. It will be a place to return to at the end of the day, a place to cook their dinner, a place to prop their feet up while watching television and a safe place ~ to sleep at night. It is easy to “protest” a business in our neighborhoods. Business sounds so sterile, so void of a human face. But this is not a business which will operate in this house. These are human forms, with human hearts who because they were born with a handicap must rely on others to help them func- tion in this complex society. They depend on us, our neigh- borhoods, our businesses to wel- come them into our world and to help them navigate what to them often seems to be an obstacle course. It takes understanding and heroism of another kind to wel- come as neighbors these people with handicaps who simply wish a place to live. I think they deserve as much. Ellen H. Campbell Dallas Library news Story teller to be featured By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Friends of the Back Moun- tain Memorial Library would like to invite the public to attend the 3rd annual “Luncheon With A Special Author” to be held on Thursday, April 25 at The Barn at Newberry Estate. Reception and hospitality will begin at 12 noon and the luncheon will be served at 12:30. Reserva- tion forms are available at the li- brary where you may make table arrangements and lunch choices. The cost of the luncheon is $16.00, checks made out to the library. The featured speaker will be Cynthia C. DeFelice, one of The Wild Washerwomen Storytellers who have performed throughout New York State delighting listen- ers with their tales. The speaker is also the author of three books for children. In conjunction with the 45th annual library auction coming up in July, the book booth chairmen would like to ask for children’s books to be donated for the booth. They are always in demand and we never have enough to sell. They may be dropped off at the library during regular hours. There is also a need for cookbooks to be sold at the booth. Some of our library staff and board members attended a library district meeting last week at the Osterhout in Wilkes-Barre. The topic was ‘Planning and role setting for public libraries’ with Joan Costello, librarian of the Os- terhout and Bernard Slusarz, board president of the Kirby Li- brary. They each had interesting plans to discuss. This was a very worthwhile meeting with many interesting ideas on library devel- opment. New books at the library: “The Spy Wore Silk” by Aline, Countess of Romanones. This is a true story of royalty and murder. It is 1971 and news reports of the near-as- sassination of Morocco’s King Hassan II shock Aline. She had received veiled warnings of such a at luncheon plot and now she had to make sure that the would-be assassins would not succeed in their second at- tempt. This is a true story of a Cold War mission into Morroco. “Out There” by Howard Blum is a stunning expose of our govern- ment's clandestine activities and a meticulously documented account of the dedicated scientific search for extraterrestrial life. The story covers scientific sanctuaries of MIT to a raucous UFO Day celebration in Elmwood, Wisconsin; from the US Space Command headquar- ters to NASA's 97 million dollar space monitoring installation. A grandfather informed me the other day that his granddaughter had a book overdue at the library and was told to pay the fine when it was returned. She told Grandpa the next day that she had a dream overnight; that books have teeth and they were after her because the book was overdue. However, it was quickly proven that such was not the case. By HOWARD J. GROSSMAN A crash course in local govern- mental problem solving is easily obtainable by the use of resources available through the Pennsylva- nia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). Local governments in Northeastern Pennsylvania desiring to compare themselves in a statistical and financial sense can obtain information from DCA as well as receive the professional technical skill level assitance which the Department's Bureau of Local Government Services, Bureau of Community Planning and other offices can bring to local govern- ments. Throughout the 266 local governments in Northeastern Pennsylvania, a variety of needs as well as opportunities exist to pro- mote how and in what manner services to residents can be most effectively provided. For example, DCA maintains a comprehensive master file of over 43,000 local government officials containing titles, names, addresses and one numbers across the Commonwealth. If a local govern- ment in Northeastern Pennsylva- nia wants to find out who to con- tact in a local government else- where in the Commonwealth about a problem, this source of informa- tion is readily available. DCA publishes a register of earned income and occupational privileges taxes showing rates of taxation and names and addresses of collectors of these taxes. The Department prepares and pub- lishes directories and statistics from municipal authorities in Pennsylvania. Most importantly, DCA provides advisory services in matters relating to local govern- ment activities with such services being available either through the stale office in Harrisburg or the DCA Scranton Regional Office. - The age of the computer has made it easier to generate informa- tion and publish statistics reports which can be made available to. Northeastern Pennsylvania local governmental officials. ; Computer processed selective mailing lists with various sorts of information and specialize listings, tabulations, and reports can be requested from the Department. Authorative sources of informa- tion in the form of procedural guides for executives, local gov- ernmental elected officials, audi- tors, accessors, tax collectors, and specialized handbooks on fiscal management and purchasing, councils of government, boundary change procedures, and citizens referenda are available through the DCA offices. Another major service is offered by the DCA Municipal Training Division in the form of technical assistance and training to local governments in improving service delivery, effective use of federal and state programs and promot- ing intergovernmental cooperation. Training is offered in the broad areas of local government struc- ture and operations, community development, management, mu- nicipal finance and environmental protection. On site training pro- grams are offered to meet the par- ticular needs of problems of Spe Win cific municipalities and agencies, at their own site, at a reduced price. The Peer-to-Peer Program pro- vides direct on-site assistance to local officials and agencies through peer consultants working under the auspices of and paid by DCA through a three-party contract. There is no direct cost to the as- sisted municipality or agency. Some examples of Peer-to-Peer assistance include police depart- ments management, local govern- mental financial management, downtown revitalization design assistance, recycling assistance, and others. Another form of help and advice to local governments is the Plan- ning Technical Assistance Pro- gram. The objective of this pro- gram is to assist local governmen- tal officials, planning agencies, and zoning hearing boards to fulfill their duties in planning and managing their community development and growth. An estimated 55% of local Soernments are gurrantly zoned £ HA OO - A Hdl ala FEAL ra ets lr A ee EE a i State department offers assistance to local governments and 90% are protected by sub- division and land development ordinances in the Commonwealth. A series of planning brochures for local officials and citizens is avail- able from DCA. Many questions are responded to by DCA staff from local governmental officials and citizens on a myriad of land use issues such as regulations for mobile homes, agricultural pres- ervation, group homes, day care facilities, fee schedules, zoning changes, subdivision reviews, comprehensive planning aspects and related topics. The Bureau of Local Govern- ments Services is located at 538 Forum Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120 (717 787-7148) and the Bureau of Community Planning which responds to the planning technical assistance requests is located at 551 Forum Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120 (717787- 7400). Howard Grossman is Executive Director of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Penn- sylvania. He lives in Dallas. ot Lh ed § 8 ih A {i Only yesterday \ 60 Years Ago - April 10, 1931 TRUCKSVILLE FIRE CO. GETS NEW CHASSIS Large throngs enjoy Easter Festival in the Back Mountain attending Sunrise Services and later Easter Services throughout the morning. The Third Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Dallas Rotary Club will be held tomorrow at Fernbrook Park starting at 2 p.m. The committee appointed by the Trucksville Fire Company and the Improvement Association an- nounced that they purchased a new fire truck chassis. Dallas Firemen are planning to hold a baked ham and bean sup- per in the barn of Adam Keifer at Shrine View. The Lightning Flyer, a thrilling drama of railroad life will be pre- sented at Himmler Theatre Friday and Saturday night. 50 Years Ago - April 1", 1941" MINSTREL SHOW TO FEATURE 45 VOICES» New Dallas-Harveys on. way will be completed this sum- mer with the construction of the five-mile link from Dallas to the Sunset. Lehman citizens will landscape the school grounds of the new high school building under the direc- tion of James Hutchinson of Luzerne County Agricultural Px tension Association. Kiwanis Minstrel Show this year will have a chorus of 45 voices under the direction of David Jo- seph of Dallas. Engaged - Elizabeth Palmer and Frederick D. Finney. To wed - Erma Shaver and Charles H. Conklin. Gone With The Wind starring Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh will be at Himmler Theatre this Friday and Saturday. 8) 40 Years Ago - April 6, 1951 | LOCAL KENNEL SHOW TO FEATURE BOXER Dallas Senior Woman's Club will hold a dinner meeting at the American Legion Home April 11 at 6:30 p.m. Charles Long of Sweet Valley entertained at a three-way dinner ‘at Foss' Restaurant Tuesday, ele- brating a birthday, an indudtion and a successful business year due to. the cooperation of Jus employees who with their» were his guests. 4 Engaged - Amy Louise Miers and John Odell; Rosemary Kozak and Charles Pilger. Wed - Leona Estella Traver and Donald Cook. West Point Story starringJames Cagney and Doris Day was playing at Shaver Theatre. Ginger, aboxer owned by Dickie Clark ‘will be shown in the Chil- dren's Handling Class at Back Mountain Kennel Club's sixth annual show at the Kington Armory, Sunday, April 15. 30 Years Ago - April 6, 1961 NOT LICENSING DOGS COSTS RESIDENTS Many persons were fined: in areas of the Back Mountain for not having their dogs licensed. Daddow-Isaacs American Legion Post to host Westmoreland bas- ketball teams at dinner. : Daniel Richards is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Dallas Township tax collector." Fifty three Dallas Cub Scouts are sworn in by Judge Edward Lopatto as Junior Deputy She#s¥s. Engaged - Lois Vanderhoff¥nd Thomas E. Williams; Ruth Marie Waldow and Joseph D. Stachnik. Dallas Kiwanis seeking talent for this year’s show. 20 Years Ago - April 8, 1971 EASTER BUNNY ATTENDS EGG HUNT R. Spencer Martin, chairman of | the Dallas Area Municipal Author- ity, answered Back Mountain resi- dents questions recently about the sewers. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cam- pus at Lehman will have a new laboratory building, according to Campus Director George W. ‘Bi- erly. Lake-Lehman Bands plan Spring Concert for April 23-24. Children who attended the Easter Egg Hunt at Dallas Senior High School Saturday found Mr. Bunny there handing out favors. Engaged - Barbara J. Poefter and William J. Carroll III. * Wed - Bonnie Long and Dale E. Elston. The finishing touches on Phase I of Dallas Borough playground will be completed within a morith, reports Recreation Committee = -* Chairman George McCutcheon. Track season opens with a Dal- las victory 85-55 over Pittston Are Junior high students form bowling league due to the efforts ol fi ‘their advisor and Mrs. Charles Riegel of Shavertown. A my RR pa
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers