Lh NO ee ES desc AR) Jo 3 wt i Ln aa i Rt, Bu SH TNLY Po SODT he Sorat Ae SCY BoA The Dallas Post AC) ol Ts 777 ; oa Yr | A HT i n Dallas, PA Wednesday, ine 24, 1992 5 ad 77, Letters Editor: a In an attempt to detract from ‘ “the quality of education in the valley's public schools, many tax- ~ payer forums have circulated “misinformation which they have obtained from less than reputable organizations which have repeat- 2=nsiedly and consistently made corre- +04v lations which are simply not valid 6 Xi >i - il (isc One such organization which is -05 (notorious for providing this misin- irio formation is the Pennsylvania {ool Leadership Council (PLC). The PLC baislis reporting that Pennsylvania is i!ifgthird in the nation in illiteracy. n2)1:This is simply not the case. The -riachest data available places Penn- sylvania’s literacy rate as slightly :on better than the nation as a whole. “Hf The PLC is relying on the fact wy that Pennsylvania receives the ‘“! Yfourth highest amount of money £1 “for literacy from the federal gov- Dit odment through the Adult Edu- caxion Act. This is not surprising oh for a state, that in 1980, had the pes fourth highest number of people. Hr Yl only relevant way to compare iid hy tes is to use percentages, and doing so represents that Pennsyl- "J “lvania is a literate state. 1, The Adult Education Act dis- tributes money to states based on the number of individuals without ~a high school diploma. Few people would argue that this is an ade- quate definition of literacy. Many bog people without high school diplo- mas are literate and some people with high school diplomas are illit- erate. In 1980, close to 30 percent of Pennsylvania's adult population were without high school diplo- mas. The 1990 U.S. census will reveal that the percentage of Penn- sylvanians without a diploma has dropped to around 15 percent. Currently there is only one study which reports differences in liter- acy among states. It is the OPBE Adult Illiteracy Study and is based on data collected in 1982. For this study 3400 adults responded to 26 written questions related to English comprehension (a score of 20 or higher indicated literacy). The OPBE study found a national illiteracy rate of 13 percent. Penn- sylvania had an illiteracy rate lower than the national average (it was 12 percent). The U.S. Department of Educa- tion estimates that one-third of illiterate adults identified by the OPBE study were born outside of the United States and that virtu- ally all spoke a non-English lan- guage at home, one third were over age 60,-and of those who spoke English as their native tongue, 70 percent had dropped out of high school. Two problems exist in measur- ing literacy. According to the U.S. Departmentof Education, no single definition of literacy exists. One researcher at the Pennsylvania Buy your Fresh Milk and Ice Cream right from the Farm. Hillside Farms - A Back Mountain Institution Since 1881. ‘Where America Shops for Health’ ea MIDWAY SHOPPING CENTER, WYOMING AVE., WYOMING - (717)287-3044 hoot Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m. 4 AVE oe itl Pitted IES i | Millers Bran ~__ =1 Apricots § ize: Reg. $1.49 oss. Reg. $1.29 #138115 « Reg. $1.59 oe & loge Sieo 9% 16 oz. 5o0z ou nl imit T with in ~~ i Limit 3 with coupon .-o» 1 Raisins Soybeans Macaroons {1641 od #137935 199° 4 Limit 3 with coupon he Sh Fone j Tuna 5 yeh I % #074325 + Reg. $1.29 Hae a | 19Q¢ 12 02. es Qf Seed coupon Gods EE GE EE EN EE EE oi = 1 Zesty's Sunflower foot 1 Yi Reg. $1.19 Ex f 12/%1,.994¢; x Limit 3 with Boh ge Vitamin E 5 | Potent Lethicin 4 Vitamin A | Vitamin C | 199° 99° Vitamin E, A and D Cream #272411 « 2 oz. CHE Yr pis QO! U 00. . #099133 + 60 Capsules ol loge CGREC GENERAL NUTRITION CENTERS #1 CL 75115 « Reg. 99¢ 54 * Reg. $1.79 1795.45; Limit 3 with coupon —— Ye Reg. $1.59 19 3 with coupon 12/*1.49% dirs + 60 ig. 1 HILLSIDE FARMS, INC. . State's illiteracy exaggerated in statistics Department of Education has found 23 different definitions! Furthermore, the standard that defines literacy is constantly evolv- ing to higher levels as our world becomes more technological. We will be learning more about Pennsylvanians and literacy in the future. The U.S. Department has contracted Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to conduct a study of docu- ment literacy, prose literacy and math word problems. Pennsylva- nia is participating in the study which is scheduled to begin in 1992. This information was collected by the Pennsylvania State Educa- tion Association which employs a full-time research staff whose reputation for collecting reliable data is well known. The public should be wary of much of the sensationalized mis- information which has been dis- tributed by taxpayers groups and should further question and in- vestigate their sources. It is truly unfortunate that many people have embraced this and other seriously flawed information, whether know- ingly or unknowingly, from the PLC for the purpose of detracting from the value of education in our cummunities. William R. Wagner, President Dallas Education Association $1 19 19 SA 3 with coupon #178415 + Reg. $1. i 1997, Limit 3 with coupon 6.25 oz. ww ol #157115 + Reg. 99¢ & Limit 3 with coupon } 1200 mg + 30 caps. Bee Pollen I Moist. Cream ; NY #731202 99° [=z 99° HILLSIDE ROAD, SHAVERTOWN, PA 18708 717-696-2881 ~~ bein «Reg. $1.49 A HT Salt Rice Cakes | Oat Bran Yio No Salt Pretzels | #121921 Reg. 99¢ 12/99. og Fig Bars 199°..4 i Limit 4 with coupon g Honey Grahams d #261215 «Reg. $1.59 20 199¢ Limit 3 with coupon EE EEN EEE EE EE #136021 * Reg. 99¢ 79. Limit 3 with coupon Spain We. Limit 3 with coupon 10:55 Aloe Moist. i Cream I #273311. 202 a ALE A. Case for Conservation Nature speaks: Anne Lindbergh translates By ALENE N. CASE A few years ago as I began writ- ing regular entries in a journal, my husband returned from a trip with a small treasure. It was a little volume of essays entitled Gift from the Sea. And what a “gift” it has been! Anne Morrow Lindbergh deftly turns shells she has found on the beach into vignettes about her struggles to fulfill her various roles. I identified with her immedi- ately - in the very first paragraph of her introduction she echoed my oft-spoken statement that “I think best with a pencil in my hand.” But, as I read further, it became obvious that this lady was much more than a woman trying to find herself among her many responsi- bilities as wife, mother of five, writer, aviator, and world traveler. She was not trained as a biologist; yet she seemed to understand nature's interactions more deeply than many scientists. She also recognized that humans cannot be whole unless we accept our relationship with the world around us. In preparation for this article, I ‘began looking up biographical information and discovered that Mrs. Lindbergh is still alive. I shall, therefore, refer to her work in the present tense. It is possible more relevant today than when she was writing. She has not published anything since her husband, Charles, died in 1974. Anne Morrow Lindbergh re- turns to two themes often in her writings. (I say writings because she has published several volumes of diaries and letters, poetry, es- says and at least one novel.) These themes are important to both the inner and outer world and are ignored by many modern people. FORM and SPACE are her special contributions to our understand- ing of the natural world and of ourselves. “Rollers on the beach, wind in the pines, the slow flapping of herons across sand dunes, drown out the hectic rhythms of city and suburb, time tables and sched- ules. One falls under their spell, on which one lies, flattened by the sea, bare, open, empty as the beach, erased by today's tides of all yesterday's scribblings.” (Gift from the Sea) Earth Shine is an unlikely combination of essays. Half of the book deals with space flight - par- ticularly her visit to Cape Kennedy for the launch of Apollo 8: “Here is the seed split from its pod, the gleaming chrysalis cracked from its protective cocoon. Here is the new moon in the old moon's arms.” The other half of the book relates her experiences on a safari in Af- rica: “Perhaps some of the tremen- | dous renewal of energy one experi- ences in East Africa comes from | being put back in one’s place in the | universe, as an animal alongside other animals-one of the many | miracles of life on earth, not the | only miracle.” Only she could watch a passing herd of elephants and write “They have come from ages before us and are going somewhere we will never | reach.” Or, on sleeping outside in the desert, “The mass of stars overhead beat down like rain.” As I leave you with one more quoted paragraph from Gift from the Sea, I hope that you will rush off to the nearest library to discover this lady for yourself. | For it is only framed in space | that beauty blooms. Only in space are events and objects and people unique and significant-and there- | fore beautiful. A tree has signifi- cance if one sees it against the empty face of sky. A note in music | gains significance from the silences on either side. A candle flowers in | the space of night. Even small and | casual things take on significance | if they are washed in space, like a few autumn grasses in one corner | of an Oriental painting, the rest of | the page bare.” | JWJ Organ donors give the By J.W. JOHNSON Your point of view will deter- mine whether or not you want to continue reading. This column is about death. And life. More to the point, life after death. No, not the Christian offering of eternal life through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, the continued living of one human being subsequent to the death ofanother human being, because the first human being had the foresight to provide for his or her organs to be surgically removed for implantation into the second human being, should the first human being meet an untimely demise. And the preceding sounds rather clinical, well, actually, it is. A sur- geon is a human parts mechanic who, in this case, and rather than repair the existing part, installs a used one from another body. But the key word in the 6th paragraph above is the word human. Organ donation is per- haps the most human thing a person can do, short of consciously giving your life for another person. In fact, more than 35,000 people in the United States benefit each year from organ transplants. How did organ and tissue donations benefit those recipients? Well, it translates into: —burn victims heal faster and without as much suffering because skin was donated. —persons who were confined to a wheelchair can now walk be- cause bone was donated. —children and adults what have never seen a sandbox or their grandchildren can see now because corneas were donated. —and persons who would have otherwise died are now living nor- mal lives because hearts, lungs and kidneys were donated. Still; there are more than 10,000 persons who remain without sight, who can’t walk, or who are near death because they are wating for organs or tissue. There have been several cases in the past decade where area residents have decided to give this precious gift by becoming organ donors. In one case, three different persons benefitted from the dona- tion of a heart, lungs and corneas. The decision to become an or- gan donor is obviously a very per- sonal one, and one which should not be taken lightly. And should you wish tobecome an organ donor, gift of life here are some steps that should be taken: —Sign some sort of donor card. | Many organizations, including both service and health organizations can provide these cards. | —You should also inform your immediate family of your desires. This is an extremely important | thing to do, because for organs to be removed, the next of kin must give written permission. —Medical personnel must also remember to ask the question. Some persons believe that many times organs are not donated simply because medical personnel forget to ask. Should you have further ques- tion about organ donation, please call your local hospital, or write to the American Council on Trans- plantation, P.O. Box 9999, Wash- ington, D.C. 20016. In the meantime: —does your house have smoke | alarms? 1 —fire extinguishers? —an evacuation plan? —have your children received a bicycle safety training? | —do they wear helmets when they ride? —do you wear seat belts when you drive? Oy Boutique 208-10 DEPOT STREET, CLARKS BE PA 18411 - + (717)586-4178 © O (= @ == Pizza & Pasta 0 Near 309-415 Intersection Q O z > Z - 8 en ews PAN x hy 0 00 00%" "a a "ee "a "a "a a "a a a Ya "ar Ya "a", PITAS (Chicken Salad & Tuna Salad) PASTA SALADS (tortellini & Vegetables) FRUIT & YOGURT SALAD * LUNCH SPECIALS x Daily 11 a.m.-4 p.m. SseesEEEssENEENEEEEEBBEBUREREREBRREL NE ® se enEne ss eeaese 824-1003 Route 309, Dallas 675-7347 Open Daily at 11:00 ©0000 ELENN0OEUEOEeEEEGEREeen0e © 0 C08 00000000000000000008e0ess © 6 ew so 0e000000006000000000060008 © 008080080 000000000000e © 0 © 08000 Us008E0E00000TEssEsese © 0606008 86C00E00000000000s00r CCC CC RC RCN CCC CC CRC CC NC SC SC NC CRC NC a) NOW SERVING COLD 6 PACKS TO GO This Week's Special Pizza Lopping! Bacon, Lewuce, Tomato i 570 Kidder St., Wilkes-Barre
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers