4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA
Wednesday, September 25, 1991
Tie SDALLASC0ST
Despite Dallas
resignations, public
service still attractive
Has public service become just too difficult and unpleasant,
or was last week's resignation of three Dallas Borough council-
men an aberration? The answer to that question is neither easy
nor apparent, but it bears investigating.
Certainly, being a local government official is often a thank-
less job, or worse. From their side of the table it seems that
citizens show interest in the workings of their community only
when they have a complaint. Even then, it's seldom that
residents take the time to find out if their concerns are properly
founded, and thus the discussions that take place at public
meetings often lead nowhere. And, of course, as a public
official, one’s motives are always questioned and people with
nothing better to do spend their time spreading rumors about
your secret agenda.
No better illustration of a public official's dilemma serves
better than the fuss over the new trash and recycling program
in the Back Mountain. Because of its small population, Dallas
Borough was not forced to institute a recycling program this
year, but the borough council saw tagging along with Dallas
and Kingston townships as an opportunity to anticipate what
would eventually be required while saving the vast majority of
residents money and helping to clean up the environment. That
was exactly the result for most citizens, but a small, vocal
minority harassed the council and especially its president
about their decision. Tim Carroll denies that this particular
incident triggered his resignation, but many people suspect it
was a large contributing factor.
There is no question that public officials are subject to
scrutiny and criticism by residents and the news media, but
that is as it should be. Anyone who wishes to hold office must
accept that they also may become a lightning rod for com-
plaints and controversy. But the other side of public service—
the positive side—can be the feeling of satisfaction that comes
from helping to guide one’s community along the proper path,
In so doing, a local government official can make a real
difference in the lives of his neighbors and for future genera-
tions. To enjoy that satisfaction, one must care deeply not only
about the present operations of the community, but about
planning for the future.
Only the three Dallas Borough officials who resigned know
all the reasons that led to their decision, but clearly for these
three people, the level of satisfaction wasn’t equal to the dis-
comfort. That shouldn't discourage others who have a vision
for their town from seeking public office.
DAMA boots it again
Judging by how it has notified businesses about recycling
requirements, it seems the Dallas Area Municipal Authority
(DAMA) hasn't learned a thing from the controversy surround-
ing the residential trash and recycling program it instituted in
July.
Commercial enterprises in the Back Mountain received
letters from DAMA last week along with a paper describing
what materials can be recycled and a form on which to report
the volume of recycled material. But the information created as
many questionsas it answered, and the fact that it arrived only
a couple of weeks before the September 26 deadline for starting
to recycle caught most businesses by surprise. Trash haulers
apparently weren't given notice of DAMA'’s plans either, nor
were they invited to help design the correspondence so that
unnecessary confusion would be avoided.
Commercial recycling works differently from the residential
program primarily in that each business can contract with any
hauler as long as the hauler can properly handle recycling. The
blanket contract DAMA signed with Danella Environmental
Technologies for residences does not apply to businesses. Like
so many other items, that is not made clear in the correspon-
dence from DAMA.
What DAMA needs least right now is apparently what they
will get as a result of this latest failure in communications—a
fresh group of confused and sometimes angry people complain-
ing about another DAMA program.
Do you agree? Disagree?
.- Editorials are the opinion of the management of The Dallas Post.
We welcome your opinion on contemporary issues in the form of
letters to the editor. If you don't write, the community may never
hear a contrasting point of view. Send letters to: The Dallas Post,
P.O. Box 366, Dallas, PA 18612. Please include your name, address
and daytime phone number so that we may verify authenticity. We
reserve the right to edit for length and grammar.
ie DALLASCPDosT
Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc.
P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612
Telephone: 717-675-5211
Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek
Editor and Publisher Associate Publisher
Peggy Young Charlot M. Denmon
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Wild things that make my heart sing
(Post Photo/Charlotte Bartizek)
Library news
Triathlon champ autographs cookbook
The Book Club of the Back
Mountain Memorial Library held
it's first meeting for the new sea-
son recently in the reference room
at the library.
Mrs. Florence Crump was voted
to stay on asPresident Emeritus of
the club with Nancy Kozemchak
sharing responsibilities. Elin
Northrup will continue as treas-
urer and Blanche Thompson will
serve as contingency fund chair.
Mary Lou Swingle was nominated
and voted in as the new secretary
of the club to begin her duties in
October.
The Contingency Fund was able
to purchase three new books for
the Book Shelf in the library with
year end funds. They are: The Wilk
Rose by Doris Mortman; Domestic
Pleasures by Beth Gutcheon; and
Darcy's Utopia by Faye Weldon.
The members decided to have
their annual Christmas Tea on
December 16th after a short busi-
ness meeting in teh reading room
at the library. The Friends of the
Library members and the commu-
nity are invited to reserve this date
and come to the library and par-
take of the tea and enjoy the spe-
cial program which will be pre-
sented.
The recent program was pre-
sented by members bringing a
‘show-n-tell’ item from home.
These consisted of miniature paint-
ings in conjunction with Cider
Paintewrs of America done by Libby
Davis; a hand-made quilt by Grace
Martin; a story called ‘Marth's
Secret Ingredient’ from a new
magazine call Reminisce by
Frances Linskill; 1889 & 1890
antique books from June
McCloskey; the last doll from Ger-
many in 1917 before the war, Quees
Louise, by Elizabeth Stoehr;
Martha Parker brought pictures of
her cottage in Vermont, the plans
of which she completed herself.
Also, Mary Panaway brought
items from Nepal and India, a
Buddhist prayer bill and a prayer
wheel and an incense burner;
Audrey Farr had Wedgewood from
England, a thimble and plates with
Diana and Charles, from her
daughter who was there for the
wedding; Mary Lou Swingle told of
a picture of Barbara Bush, herself
and her granddaughter in Wash-
ington when Mrs. Bush was in-
vested as National Honorary Presi-
dent of the Girl Scouts.
The next meeting will be held
Monday, October 21st-at 1:30 in
the reference room at the library.
Pouring at 'the tea table were
Martha Parker and Ruth Heintzel-
man.
The “Chefs and Artists” cook-
book of the library features a page
dedicated to the 1991 ‘Greater
Wilkes-Barre Triathlon’ and it's
10th anniversary with a special
recipe for Runner's Pasta Salad.
Greg Welch of Bangor, New South
Wales, Australia; a world cham-
pion in 1990 was the winner here
in 1991 and he autographed one of
our cookbooks with: “all the Very
Best! Greg Welch". This book will
stay in the library as a’ special
tribute to the triathletes.
The cookbook committee will
have a table at the Christmas Craft
Show sponsored by the Soccer Club
at the Dallas Senior High School
on Sunday, Oct. 6th from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. :
Anderson afield
Wetland foes misrepresent their case
By JOHN M. ANDERSON
In the push to create an envi-
ronment in which humans and
other animals cannot survive, our
wetlands appear as obstacles to
the big promoters. As you know,
the millions of small depressions
known as “prairie potholes” fill with
water in spring. Some water perco-
lates down into the underground:
aquifers that supply drinking
water. These little reservoirs, if not
- drained, reduce the rapid run off
that creates floods downstream.
Coastal marshes absorb the en-
ergy of hurricane tides. Millions of
waterfowl, shorebirds, and aquatic
mammals and reptiles depend on
wetlands. Without coastal
marshes, our entire seafood in-
dustry would disappear. Wildlife
of the wetlands contributes hun-
dreds of millions to our national
economy.
But you cannot raise wheat in a
prairie pothole. You cannot build
houses in a marsh. You cannot
make money on the cypress and
tupelo gum in a virgin swamp for-
est. As long as wetlands remain
wet, they will conflict with schemes
for converting them into economic
enterprise.
In recent years, Section 404 of
the Clean Water Act has been an
effective tool for protecting wet-
lands without placing undue bur-
dens on landowners, farmers, and
developers. Comes now a deter-
mined and well-financed coalition
of interests that claims to be
hampered by wetlands regulations.
They are waging a campaign to
weaken Section 404. Representa-
tives of farm, homebuilders, oil
and gas, and road construction
lobbying organizations have vis-
ited virtually every congressional
office with “horror stories" about
Section 404. They are promoting
amendments to the Clean Water
Act that would destroy the pro-
gram.
These horror stories are under-
lain by a pack of lies. Here are just
a few examples:
~ They claim farmers who have
been farming for decades need a
404 permit to continue farming.
But Section 404 exempts ongoing
farming, ranching and forestry. A
farmer can continue his operation
even if it involves deposition of dirt
into a wetland so long as that is
partofhis ongoing program. Now if
he wants to begin farming in wet-
lands, that have not been farmed
before, he must get a permit to do
SO.
The liars claim a farmer can't
even switch crops without a 404
permit. The truth is, he can plant
different crops if they are part of
his normal crop rotation. But if he
is tired of trying to drain it and lets
it revert back to marsh, then a
permit may be necessary ifhe wants
tostart farming that wetland again.
Gullible congressmen are told
you can't do anything in a wetland
without a 404 permit. I only wish
that were true! Permits are re-
quired only for dumping dredged
or fill material into wetlands. Drain-
ing, flooding, or chemically con-
taminating a wetland does not
require a permit; nor does cutting
off inflow of fresh water or removal
of cattails, bulrushes and other
wetland vegetation. Clearly, pro-
tections now in place are minimal.
They need to be strengthened; not
weakened.
Recently, the administration set
up a new criteria that would re-
move millions of acres from wet-
land protection (such as it is) by
simply changing the official defini-
tion of wetlands. Under this
change, the water would have to
stand or saturate the land surface
for 21 consecutive days. Since most
prairie potholes (from whence
cometh about 70 percent of our
canvasbacks, mallards, pintails
and other flat-faced fowl) dry up in
less than 21 days, they can now be
drained and plowed up. Thus they
will contribute to our crop surplus
and floods along the major rivers.
One of the most serious threats
is House Bill 1330, by my own
Congressman, Jimmy Hayes. This
bill, if passed, will extract the few
teeth in Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act. Lobbying by the coali-
tion mentioned above is so strong
that the bill has 147 cosponsors. If
your Congressman is among them,
he is not doing right by you or your
grandchildren.
John M. "Frosty" Anderson was
Director of the Wildlife Department
of the National Audubon Society
from 1966 until his retirement in
1987.
Only
yesterday
60 years ago-Sept. 25, 1931
GAS WELL STRUCK
AT 2,000 FEET
Gas flowing at a pressure of 750
pounds per square inch has been
struck at a depth of 2000 feet in
the drilling operations being car-
ried on at Jenks along the Dallas-
Tunkhannock highway.
In keeping with an annual cus-
tom, Devens Milling Company of
Dallas and Kinkle in conjunction
with Tioga-Empire Mills will enter-
tain 200 guests Friday Night at
Kunkle Community Hall.
Doc Traver, striking out the first
seven batters in the first game at
Kingston Township school lot was
unable to stop Shavertown this
time around who won 10-3. :
Four prisoners escape - from
Wyoming County and East
Stroudsburg jails over the past
weekend.
Animal acts thrill visitors at the
Wyoming County Fair.
RB
50 years ago-Sept. 26, 1941
FIRE COMPANY RAISES
FUNDS FOR BUILDING. .
Members of the Henry Calls
Fire Company are hard at weik
trying to finance a combination
firehouse and community house
for the borough.
Lehman Dropshinski, Lehman
High School alumnus, if fighting
his way to a name in New Jersey
boxing circles.
Claude Cook of Fernbrook. gets
a used car bargain when he brings
home a Ford phaeton only 30 years
old in grand condition with only
7,000 miles on it and never, run
since 1928.
Rapid progress is being made
on the new Lake road with one lane
completed from Castle Inn to Dal-
las.
Wed- Elizabeth Piskorik and
John Pitcavage.
The ‘Big Store” starring the Marx
Brothers now playing at Himmler
Theatre. : Bi
40 years ago-Sept. 28, 1951
JIM BROWN HEADS |
DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN
Attn. Jim Brown of Shavertown
heads Democrats campaigns “in
Luzerne County.
Frank Hayden Roads: of
Huntsville has been named Lie
Col. in the Air Force. fr
Daylight Saving Time is out and"
Eastern Standard Time starts,
Sunday at 2 p.m. &
Wed-Lorraine Sorber arid
Marvin EllsworthJr.: Jeanne Ikeler,
and Theodore Reed; Nancy C.
Roche and Warren L. Thomas;
Betty Jane Naugle and Albert E.
Agnew.
Lehman Scotties will attempt | to
retain the Old Shoe at tomorrow's
game at the Dallas Borough King-
ston Township gridiron.
30 years ago - Sept. 28, 1961
NEW DALLAS
AMBULANCE ON ORDER
Bulldozers are clearing acreage
for the new Lake-Lehman High
Schools Building.
Mrs.
Prosper Wirt, new librarian for
the Back Mountain Library arrived.
in Dallas Tuesday evening, one
hour before the furniture. vit
Dallas Community Ambulanee
Association has a new ambulange:
on order, a new 1961 Cadillac,
Dorosky and Andrew's lead,
Dallas to 18-7 win over Lake:.
Lehman on the Dallas gridiron.
Wed-Jane Ann Wellhofer aiff;
Ens. Jerold A. Nelson; Lois Mace
and Robert B. Russell; Sandra [.ee..
Morris and Ronald Lee Swingle..
College Misericordia to offer early,
morning caller of the air over;
WDAU-TV. 43
A ] Y
20 years ago-Sept. 23, 1971,
VACANT HOUSE Le
DRAWS COMPLAINTS "+
Vacant House in the Back
Mountain brings complaints | from
neighbors.
Quick start at Brandywine indi- ;
cates 1972 completion. ‘
Harveys Lake Sewer plans avoids
calculated delay. :
Ribbon cutting opens telephone :
center in Dallas.
Saturday, Sept. 25, opens arch-'
ery deer season which will con-
tinue through Oct. 29. et
Lake-Lehman directors consider
busing requests.
Dallas School District enrolled!
in Channel 44's I-TV courses.
Wed-Betty Ann Weaver and
Thomas P. Shaver; Sandra Jane
Tait and James H. Robb. yd
Dallas Mountaineers were sur.
prised by GAR whose passing der
fense gave the Grenadiers a 26+ Is
win.
Knights bow to Meyers 23- 6.
Natona employees receive in-x
struction on firefighting.