Rh ry 4 TheDallas Post Dallas, PA Tie SDALLASCP0ST ‘Headlines we hope to write in 1992 As the tumultuous year of 1991 comes to a close, it's time to think about what we would like to report on in 1992. Many of the momentous national and international events that oc- curred last year left their own marks on people here. Dozens of area residents went off to a happily brief war in the Persian - Gulf; many Back Mountain families were relieved that friends and relatives in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were finally free of communist totalitarianism; some undoubtedly “suffered financial reverses because of a stagnant economy. But our thoughts are directed close to home. So, here are a few headlines we hope to publish next year. ‘Dallas board, teachers ‘reach reasonable contract © After nearly a year of intermittent negotiating, the Dallas School District and its teachers are still far apart in their demands and expectations. The teachers’ union is clearly delighted with the recommendations of a fact-finder, which are * to give the teachers an average 8.75 percent raise in each year of a four-year contract. The board rightly rejected that sugges- tion, realizing that such a commitment was unfair to taxpayers who have suffered from a recessionary economy. A compromise is in order, with most of the movement coming _ from the teachers’ side. oid pub torn down + The dangerous eyesore that was once a fine restaurant and . lastly the Hearthstone Pub has remained standing for too long. Feeble attempts by Dallas Borough's former solicitor to force ' the owners to remove the dilapidated structure have been to no . avail, and the Borough's hand-to-mouth financial status has + denied it the resources to simply condemn and demolish it. We \ hope a new borough council and solicitor can get some results. 4 ) PennDOT, towns work to add : ‘traffic lights on Route 309 Route 309 through the Back Mountain was already a deadly - highway before it was connected to Interstate 81,in November. “Increased traffic — especially more trucks — will only com- - pound the danger. Despite the clear logic that improvements to - the highway in Wilkes-Barre directly affect traffic flow here, ' PennDOT continues to say that the cost of installing necessary traffic signals must be borne by local municipalities. We hope - PennDOT will accept its share of the responsibility for making Route 309 safer. sa aki ~ Developer plans commercial park in Back Mountain Now that access to Interstate 81 has been improved, the . Back Mountain has become even more attractive as a place to live and work. But the region lacks a well-planned, attractively built commercial or light industrial area that would attract good-paying employers. Creating one now could assure more good jobs right here and would expand the tax base. Municipalities join to produce unified planning As the Back Mountain continues to develop, it becomes ever clearer that the region could benefit from coordinated, forward- ~ thinking planning, zoning and building regulations and con- sistent enforcement of them. For the most part, developers have been conscientious, but that may not always be the case. More important, regional planning could direct development in the most productive, least damaging way, preserving and enhancing the Back Mountain's attractiveness. So, there you have it; five headlines that we hope to be able to write in 1992, Have a good new year. - 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 a daytime phone number so that we may verify authenticity. . We reserve the right to edit for length and grammar. Tie DALLAS PosT Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-6211 Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek. Editor and Publisher Associate Publisher Peggy Young Eric Foster : Advertising Acct. Exec, Reporter Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala Production Manager Classified/typesetting : Jean Hillard : Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Tuesday, December 31, 1991 Happy New Year from The Dallas Post J.W.J. Getting one’s oriorities straight By J.W. JOHNSON It all seemed so simple then. So right. So perfect. So much the epitome of the American dream. The year was 1970, some 21 years ago. I was into my third of four years of active duty with the United States Air Force. My president was secretly bomb- ing Cambodia. My commanding officer was about to lose his life in the crash of a B-52 bomber. I was busy as a vehicle mechanic mak- ing sure our bomber pilots got to their planes so they could destroy millions of acres of vegetation and nearly a million people in South- east Asia. Itwas all in a day's work. For the nation. And for the young airman who was about to learn what was really important in life. Credit. Credit was what was really important in life. Your word' as evidenced in your desire and fol- low through in paying your bills. If a man had credit...good credit, he was a long way toward success in this society. Thus spake Technical Sergeant Darryl Clay, aborn and bred Texan who had decided that this Penn- sylvania Yankee had a lot to learn about the financial ways of the world, TSgt. Clay first of all explained that he was about to retire from the Air Force...at the age of 38...collect a full pension from Uncle Sam, and then go to work at his own “fillin’ station, jest outside uh Lubbock," he said. So the first thing I needed to do was stay 20 years in the Air Force. TSgt. Clay and I were definitely listening todifferent radio stations. I didn't tell him so, however, as his intentions were honorable if not avuncular, But the most important thing a man could do was “establish hisself a credit record” And you could do this, according to TSgt. Clay, with the most wonderful invention ever to emerge from the fevered minds of those who lay awake nights trying to figure out new and different ways to part us fools from our money: The credit card. ; The ubiquitous, plastic marvel. A doorway to love, peace on the planet, and a year's supply of whatever you wanted...whether you needed it or not. We were standing in the mess hall line when this conversation took place. Sgt. Clay had taken out his Mastercard to show me this plastic marvel. I can still see it to this day. Shiny, Grey, Beckoning. I now have one just like it. So do millions of other Ameri- cans. However, it's indiscriminate use has lured many into the fan- tasy land of ‘pay for it tomorrow’ when many people can't afford it today. And hasn't easy credit fostered other misguided, notions ,about what we can and should expect from our government? From our- selves? “We in America suffer from a great delusion,” former (and made by Watergate famous) U.S. Sena- tor Sam Ervin once said. “We think we can pass a law and everything will be cured.” The attitude noted by Ervin includes just about everyone. Laborer, government employees, electronics technicians, grocery store clerks...the list could go on forever, And of immeasurable length seems to be the list of spe- cial benefits wanted by virtually everyone from the ‘government.’ So a law is passed, a bureauc- racy formed, and regulations prom- ulgated until the bureaucracy now numbers more than 3,000,000 in Washington alone, with a corre- sponding Federal tax bite. We are floundering in regula- tions we don't understand, taxes we cannot afford, but more impor- tantly, moving forward with a ‘help- me-government’ attitude, an atti- tude which is causing the death of selfrespect, a character traitwhich, more than any other, made this country great, Every time we ask the govern- ment for help instead of doing it ourselves we lose self respect and gain more governmental control over our lives. Recall the Pilgrims. What guar- antees did they have? They pro- vided food, shelter, transportation and other necessities for themselves...or they did not sur- vive. And it's because of their sur- vival, and their example, that this country was preserved for future generations. It would be ludicrous to advo- cate a return to pure survival; it is also no doubt true that selfrespect is more difficult to comprehend— and/or to see the need for main- taining—when humans are once, twice and three times removed from an immediate survival threat. But that does not mean the knight should hang up his armor for lack of dragons to slay. Instead of self-respect, the pre- dominant character traits il in Amer- ica today are, to name a few: —demanding more money for less work. —putting immediate security above self respect. —and generations of welfare recipients now with no grasp of the notion of taking care of one's self, that idea having been supplanted by the myth of ‘entitlements.’ It's true thatin an age (New York City excepted) where survival is not paramount, self respect be- comes more an idealistic symbol. than arealistic response. But what better symbol to pass along and insure future generations? Another attitude arising from the ‘entitlement’ mentality is, in fact, the lure of easy credit. Hardly a week goes by when Ido not receive a solicititation from some far away bank wanting me to send for its credit card. The solici- tiation begins by noting my “excel- lent credit rating", or words to that effect, And how do you suppose that | got that excellent rating? By not succumbing to the lure of easy credit in the first place, By paying my bills on time and, when fea- sible, paying cash. It certainly wasn't by using plastic. As it is with perfection, easy credit isn't really easy; it's an illu- sion, Library news Extra craft books are By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library has a rotating collection of craft books borrowed from the Osterhout Library which are avail- able for our patrons to borrow and return to our library for a three week period. Some of the titles from this collection include: “Quilts of Illusion” by Laura Fisher; “The Complete Book of Rock Tumbling” by Christopher Hyde and Richard Matthews; “Floral Patterns for Stenciling” by Susan Britton and Jackie Looney; “Free-Form Bar- gello” by Gigs Stevens; “Old House Woodwork Restoration” by Ed Johnson; “Country Needlework" by Margaret Boyles; and “You Can Learn Lettering and Calligraphy” by Gail and Christopher Lawther. The collection includes many additional titles. The library circulated 7,606 books during November; 4,126 adult titles and 3,480 juvenile. Book Club circulated 247 books - “Remember”, and there were 60 new books added to the collection. New borrowers totaled 133 and re-registrations were 441, Interlibrary loan had 33 transactions. A new large printbook, donated by the Dallas Lions Club, is Bar- bara Taylor Bradford's latest, Some brand new children's books include “The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen” by Lloyd Alexander; a masterful tale about the interplay of self- doubt and courage, pride and love that will echo with truths to young travelers in any land. “The Borning Room" by Paul Fleischman, a Newbery medalist, ,1s a novel of echoing births and deaths. When this room is used, the lives of those within it and without often take a sudden turn- ing, It shows the eternal cycle of birth, courtship, birth and death. “Rats on the Roof and Other Stories” by James Maeshall, a Caldecott Honor winner, is a book that will dance its way into your 5.0 18.5. available heart with the author's wittiest and most wonderful book yet— sure to tickle the fancy of young and old alike. “Wanted: Mud Blosom" by Betsy Byars is the story of Pap Blossom's loyal dog, who has never been in so ruch trouble before. The school hamster Junior brought home for the weekend is missing, and all the evidence points right to Mud. “Window” by Jeannie Baker tells of a mother and baby as they look through a window at a view of wilderness and sky as far as the eye can see. The boy grows and the scene changes. Illustrated with amazing collage constructions; “Window” is a wordless picture book. “American Tall Tales” by Mary Pope Osborne includes a collec- tion of tall-tale characters such as Davy Crockett, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill, John Henry, Paul Bunyan, Stormalong, Mose, Sally Ann Thunder, Ann Whirlwind and Febhold Feboldson. Letter : Thanks supporter of Taxpayers’ = | Assoc. candidates Editor: On behalf of the Back Mountain Residents and Taxpayers Assaci tion, I would like to irri of gratitude to those voters who were able and did cast a vote for the write-in candidates. Despite the blatant hampering of the voters, the candidates did well at the polls. Thank you for your effort, and please remember that change does not occur rapidly. Jackie Zukesky Wyoming | Aida " : ~ And y 5 i jie | yesterday _ hi 1 60 Years Ago - Jan. 1, 1932 AUTO INSPECTION wit BECOME STRICTER Auto inspection to be more figid, heavy fines and loss of rating for inspection stations lax in dui cleary shown in a letter rece: this week by James Oliver, nouncing appointment of his’ ga- rage as one of the official inspec- tion stations throughout the state. Similar letters were sent out by Bureau of Motor Vehicles of Penn- sylvania to other duly authorized stations. Benjamin G. Eynon, Comumis- sioner of Motor Vehicles issued a final reminder, that the use of 1931 license plates after midnight De- cember 31, is against the law. In Rural League play, Shaver- town defeated Beaumont, 49-16; y Lehman over Dallas, 21-18. Trucksville will travel to Orange where they will play the team there at the community hall. Es Street Scene with Sylvaia“Sid- ney now pliyingia at Himmler The- atre. 3 50 Years Ago - Jan. 2, 19429" 4 ADMIRAL HAROLD + STOCK HONORED BY. HARVEYS LAKE PROTECTIVE ASSN. . Mrs. A.R. Dungey, Lake Street, won the first prize for the most beautifully decorated Christmas 3 doorway sponsored by Wyoming Valley Garden Club in the s Area. 3 Admiral Harold R. Stock, Wgo- ming Valley native, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations was GE 1 of the first annual dinner dan Harveys Lake Protective Assoria- tion in the Grand Ballroom of Hotel 3 a Sterling, Monday night. wil Engaged - Jean Elizabeth. Zim- merman to Donald Bougal Déans. Wed - Ruth Evans to H.V. Lyne, Jessie Grose to William Moss. - 40 Years Ago - Jan. 4, 1952 BACK MOUNTAIN RESIDENTS TREK TO HARRISBURG FOR . STATE FARM SHOW. Scores of Back Mountain resi- dents will attend the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, Jan. 14-18 in a setting provided. to demonstrate the educational value of the show. Rev. Frederick W. Moock Jr., resigned from St. Paul's Lutheran j Church, Shavertown to accept a call to St. John's Evangelical Lu- theran Church in Phoenixville, Ralph Sands and LR. or were sworn in as new Supe rs of Kingston Township on: New E Year's Day. “3 New Plymouth for 1952 w on display here and throug the U.S, today, both Howard I§ and L.L. Richardson have nounced. Master Sgt. Charles W. Rem- phrey, Dallas was recently pre- sented the Bronze Star Medal; at an Airlift Base in Japan, p 30 Years Ago Jan. 4, 1962 ad GLORIA THOMAS OF SHAVERTOWN #3 BR Fr APPOINTED CHIEF = PROBATION OFFICER Gloria Thomas, Shavertown lawyer was appointed as ‘Chief Probation Officer for Luzetne County. Grace Cave, Robert Moore and Wilbur Davis reelected to their second terms were sworn into:of- fice by Mayor Thomas Morgan at the annual reorganization méet- ing of Borough Council Tussday night. Dallas Outdoor Theatre sold to Richard A. Fox, owner of Fox Drive- in Theatres, hendquastered} in Reading. : Engaged - Margery Stookey to John G. Stephenson. Wed - Maxine Long to William Roberts; Marie B. Sherwood to Wayne T. Troxell. In Church League play, Bast a Dallas dumped Shavertown 49- 43; Huntsville defeated Harveys Lake 67-55; Prince of Peace over St, Therese's 49-28, : SE a AS BAY By ed
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers