Mn et rte pe rion Es AE es ct a ; BOTT eo le BE TRE DE ~ 4 The Dallas Post i) oe J Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 20, 1993 —— Nis The Dallas Post Chiet Sabol's legacy: Respect for law, help for people in need An era in Back Mountain law enforcement is coming to an end as Paul Sabol prepares to retire as chief of the Kingston Township police department. But the standards he set will con- tinue to serve the region well in coming years. Sabol came to work in Kingston Township 30 years ago, starting as a part-time officer and rising through the ranks to become chief. Along the way, he and his department gained respect in the eyes of township residents both by performance and attitude. In an era when authority figures like police officers often are treated derisively, Kingston Township's de- partment has consistently earned the community's support. Four years ago, with a new contract between the police union and the township due, word was that the supervisors were opposing a meaningful raise for patrolmen. When The Post asked individuals and business owners whether the officers deserved the raise, not a single voice opposed it, and many of the people we interviewed volunteered their opinion that the department was well worth its cost, and more. Some told us how quickly the department had responded to an emergency; others spoke about the polite assistance they had received when they needed it. Perhaps the officers simply reflected the att itudes of their leader. Throughout his years in the department, Sabol was more than just a police chief. He guided young people through rocky points in their lives, inspired others to make more of themselves than they might otherwise have, and got involved in numerous local and statewide organizations. Chief Sabol was instrumental in establishing the Back Mountain Commu- nications Center, and served as its chairman; he was president of the Pennsylvania Police Chiefs Association; he worked on the Punt, Pass and Kick competition; and, perhaps most important of all to him, he began the annual Policemen’s Breakfast to benefit the Luzerne County Association for Retarded Citizens. Paul Sabol has been a man [or the times in the Back Mountain, and his presence will continue to be felt. His department — and the entire region — have benefited from his drive to be the best, and to help others in need. Seat belts save lives only if you use them It would hardly seem necessary to remind people how De Sortant it is to wear seat belts when driving or riding inacar. After all, there are overwhelming statistics to show that motor- ists who wear belts are much less likely to be killed or injured in an accident: Like this one — 73% of deaths in auto accidents are suffered by people who weren't wearing seat belts. Or this — 62% of major injuries occur to non-belted persons, while 70% of minor injuries were to those who wore belts. Yet, while statewide figures indicate that 60% of drivers wear seat belts, local police chiefs estimate that only 30 to 40% of the people their officers stop are wearing them. Maybe that per- centage is low because police tend to stop people who drive irresponsibly in other ways. Still, it's hard to imagine why people would be unnecessarily reckless with their lives. In 1956, Ford offered the first widely available new models with seat belts, which didn’t prove to be a hot item. Fifteen years later, installing belts had become mandatory, and in 1974 shoulder belts also were required. Now, air bags are the standard for front seat safety, though belts are still needed for the greatest effectiveness. So, the best route to safety still rests with the individual motorist and his passengers. Buckle up; you and your family will be glad you did. Winter at Harveys Lake Photo by Charlotte Bartizek® | etters About the opinion pages The Dallas Post attempts to publish opinions on a variety of topics in many forms. Editorials, which are the opinion of the management of The Post, appear on the editorial page. Cartoons are the opinion of the cartoonist and columns are the opinion of the author. Neither necessarily reflects the viewpoint of The Post. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published subject to the following guidelines. Letters must not exceed 500 words. Except in unusual circumstances, no writer may have more than one letter published during a 30 day period. Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a telephone number for verification. Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear threat to the writer. The Postretains the right to accept or reject any letter and to edit letters as necessary without distorting their meaning. In addition to letters to the editor, we welcome longer pieces that may be run as columns. The author or the subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be our prime consideration when selecting material for publication. To submit an item for publication, send it to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas, PA 18612, or bring it to our office. The Dallas Post 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 Grace R. Dove Reporter Peggy Young Advertising Acct. Exec. Paul Rismiller Production Manager Olga Kostrobala . Classified/typesettin Jean Hillard yp 8 Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Jones thanks supporters of Eddie Turchin fundraisers Editor: It is with heartfelt thanks that I write this letter to all those who helped make the Eddie Turchin Benefit Square tremendous success. My expectations were certainly exceeded and I am very grateful to the contributors and to the many wonderful people who packed the dance floor at College Misericordia. Special thanks to the Misericordia Dance a administration and staff for their generosity and support and to Bevaco Foods and Insalaco’s of Edviardsvill: fer their valuable donations. I would also like to express my gratitude to the fine group from First Eastern Bank for their volunteer efforts during the dance and to the staffat the bank's Dallas office for handling the account and contributions so efficiently. To the Lake-Lehman Community and to my family who did many of the behind-the-scenes jobs and to my band, thank you for making me look like I knew what I was doing. You are all terrific! Finally, to the media who, for months, ‘have: ‘been. so accommodating and supportive; you are among the many reasons why this area is known as a “Valley with a heart”. As Eddie and his family continu to struggle to make progress, pleas remember them in your thoughts and prayers. For anyone who would like toreturn ticket money or make a contribution, please do so:by mailing it to First Eastern Bank, Dallas Office, Memorial Highway, Dallas, PA 18612. Again, mysimgerestappreciation to all! “Red” Jones - A. Case for Conservation Science teachers are first defense of environment By ALENE N. CASE If we are going to solve our environmental problems, we are definitely going to need better science teaching in our schools. Many people have stated this fact in forums large and small. But, how do we go about improving the situation - especially in our public schools? One way is to find an excellent teacher, listen to that person's stories, and then try to encoruage other teachers to enhance their own teaching by doing similar things. One evening last week, I had the privilege of listening to an excellent teacher speak about his work - his joys and his frustrations. David K. Thomas lives in the Back Mountain and teaches at Hanover Area High School. He has degrees from Wilkes and Bloomsburg Universities. He is married, loves fishing, and is an audiophile. So far, David appears much like any other area teacher with 21 years of experience. But, why does David Thomas receive Excellence in Teaching awards or have so many students who are honored by the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences? One of the clues to his success was obvious the moment he began to describe a project one of the girls in his “gifted” class had done on Harveys Lake a few years ago. Animated is the word that comes to mind. He described in great detail the entire experiment - the eanipment used, the sampling strategy, the data collection, and the problems of data interpretation. This kind of enthusiasm can only come from active involvement in the student's work. And, he quite justifiably shares in the pride and joy when the student receives an award after the results are presented. Enthusiasm is certainly one characteristic common to all excellent teachers. It enables them to do things above and beyond the call of duty. He is willing - even eager - to take students out of all kinds of weather and at all times of day or night. (One girl did a project that required being on the lake by 3 AM several times during the summer!) He purchases small items such as batteries, rope, and gasoline out of his personal funds and often loans students equipment to use. David also shares with his students his expertise in mechanics and electronics. Much of the equipment they use is concocted in his workroom - at home. He makes pumps, power supplies, light meters, and other gadgetry needed for the success of any project. Obviously, these are skills that most teachers do not have. But, every teacher can share with students the skills and talents they do have. And, they can encourage students to use their own special skills to accomplish the goal at hand. I asked Mr. Thomas if he had any particular philosophy of teaching sicence. Two specific ideas came immediately to mind. First, he feels that it is important for all of his students to learn to follow directions. This is equally important on an eighth grade physical science quiz or in the preparation of a presentation for state competition. Second, he wants his students to learn that science is not always neat and tidy. Sometimes the results of an experiement will be the opposite of the way one thought it would turn out. The point is not that it didn’t give the expected answer but that the student has discovered what technique does not work or what rules donotapply to that particular situation. In other words, the student has actually learned something. Mr. Thomas becomes almost as animated when he discusses the problems he faces at work as he does when describing the successes he has had. His major difficulty recently has been a lack of time to work with the students. His schedule has been rearranged so that he meets with the gifted science students fewer periods each week. Most ol the time now he mustarrange to meet with students after school - an inconvenience both for him and for the students. Additional paperwork and other responsiblities have also cut into the time he can spend puttering in 7 his shop or working on ‘his computer. Another frustration fc- him is the continued lack o recognition for students who do outstanding academic work. It seems that everything else takes precedence - things like cheerleading and sports. David was quick to emphasize what I already knew - that these difficulties are faced by most teachers in most American schools. They certainly are not unique to him or to his school. Mr. Thomas is an example of a teacher who truly cares about the education of his students. Such a teacher should be encouraged in every way possible. It. is commendable that he can usually convince the school to purchase equipment he needs, but why should he not have sufficient time to put it to good use? Why don't newscasts have a special sectio 4 | devoted entirely to the speci projects done by students and the awards given to students and teachers? If sports and academics had at least equal billing, students would realize that their activities and studies really are important. Schooldistricts should be falling all over themselves to attract and keep excellent teachers. Otherwise, our students will get the mediocre education that we are willing. eS support. And, those who mi have been turned on to science will ] be content to check groceries. at the local supermarket. : Library news 1931 still-life by area artist on display at library, By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library will have on display in the lobby of the library a still life pastel drawing done by Noel Thomas of Dallas. Noel painted this pastel drawing in 1931 during the Depression. The painting features a copper tea kettle and an Arabian coffee pot with a plaid cotton towel. At that time, the Woman's Club of Wilkes-Barre had an exhibit of paintings and Noel received a prize from the club for his drawing. The club was also selling the paintings during this exhibit; however, Noel did not want to sell his, he decided he would like to keep it in his home. Noel attended classes with the late Nicholas Cortiglia, an art teacher from Wilkes-Barre. His studio was located on South Main Street in the city and Noel did many paintings during the years he attended the classes. The one at the library is the only one he had framed. This drawing is an interesting study of still life with an exciting background story to go with it. This drawing will be on display in the lobby of the library until February 25. A new Memorial Book given to the library is “Prayers and Poems of Inspiration” published by Ideals of Nashville, Tennessee. This book was presented to the library by Nancy Kozemchak in memory of Maude Deeble. The title page of the book contains an inspiring verse from the 54th Psalm, verse 17. “Evening and morning, and at noon, will I pray...and He shall hear by voice." The first section of the book is titled, Jesus and prayer; the rest of the chapters cover special lives of compassionate conviction; perseverance and sufferance; charitable service; private devotion; public testimony; praise and historical impact. The book is beautifully illustrated with pictures of churches and cathedrals. The lives included in the volume represent a variety of Christian voices including Charles Dickens; John Donne; John Henry Newman; John Keble: Corrie ten Boom; Catherine Marshall; John Milton; William Cowper Robert Louis Stevenson; Helen Keller, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Charles Wesley and many Attorney on the rise more. The poems and prayers: in this book prove that one thing has remained constant; Christians of all eras, all nations, and -all churches have recognized Heir need for prayer. A new book at the library} is “Mitigating Circumstances” ‘by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. It is dead-on convincing thriller about a woman law enforcer's fevered pursuit of a criminal. A former police investigator, the author offers intimate knowledge of how crime and punishment really work—on both sides of the law. The story is about Lily Forrester, a feisty, dedicated Assistant Disunict in Ker professional career, and on they brink in her private life. This is psychological spellbinder. . 2 » LO | id i QD 1 iy fd
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers