? : bh nds 5 ox 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 8, 1993 The Dallas Post Volunteers protect ‘and serve: support them when asked The Back Mountain is growing, but in many ways it still is a region of small communities where people depend on their neighbors in time of need. Nowhere is that more true, or more important, than in our volunteer fire and ambulance depart- ments. No matter what time of day or night the siren blows, a squad of dedicated professionals—they're far from amateurs, even if - they don’t get paid—respond and skillfully douse the flames, pry accident victims from the wreckage or transport the ill to the hospital, all the while using the knowledge gained through countless hours of training. And they do it all on their time, not on the clock. When they're not fighting fires or attending to the injured, many of these volunteers are out raising funds or filling out paperwork to get grant money that is used to maintain and up- grade equipment. And, as the advertising jingle goes, they do it all for you...and me. But a funny thing happens when an area grows as this one has. Despite a rising population, the number of people who will lend their time and talent declines, or at best remains stagnant. Many people do little more than sleep here and send their children to the schools, spending long days and nights at work . downtown. As a result, they don’t develop the community bond that often spurs volunteers to action. Others are so busy earning enough money to buy that coveted new house or car that they simply don’t have time or energy left when the day is done. Volunteers certainly need plenty of those qualities, especially at times of the year such as summer, when activity always seems to jump. You don't have to be particularly astute to foresee the day when some communities may be forced to buy emergency services from larger ones or from companies like the commer- cial ambulance outfits that already exist. That will put an added financial burden on either all taxpayers or those indi- viduals who need service. As it is, some Back Mountain fire and ambulance compa- nies solicit “members” who pay a fee, usually $10 to $25, in order to receive unlimited free service during the year. Those who don't join pay for each call, at $100 or more a shot. The membership fee is a bargain by any standards, whether you need help or just as a contribution to helping your neighbors. Even the one-time cost is insignificant when it buys survival. Next time you're asked to contribute to your local volunteer fire or ambulance company, or to subscribe to membership, keep this in mind: Few of us can predict when competent emer- gency service will save our lives, our health or our property, but the chances are good that we'll need that help one day. If you can't give your time, give your money—it will be one e of the best investments you'll ever make. hhh Shi | : OCA HAE SNR A Sr 9 1 A word to the wise Folks opposed to the Dallas Area Municipal Authority's trash and recycling pickup program are once again up in arms, this time because DAMA sent letters threatening to place liens against the property of non-payers. The authority has done the same thing for years with people who haven't paid their sewer charges. As usual, the phone lines to the Fred Williams radio show lit up, and ol’ Fred doled out his calculated sympathy mixed with liberal doses of guidance. But readers who plan to hold back their payments should pay close attention to the Pied Piper of Pomposity before taking his advice, since in the course of his show on Wednesday, September 1, he demonstrated that he didn’t know even the most rudimentary facts about DAMA or the Back Mountain. This loudmouth, who can often be heard puffing up and trumpeting his journalistic skills and mouthing, “You can trust me on this,” announced that he would personally call every elected official in “Kingston, Dallas Township and Dallas Borough,” to ask if they were for or against the DAMA program. Then, he promised, with voters’ help he would run those who supported it out of office in November. Williams thereupon proceeded to list the names of officials he knew to be respon- sible for this travesty, but he listed all the names of officials of ~ Kingston, the west side community, not Kingston Township! When a woman from Kingston Township called, she rightfully i was mystified as Williams asked her if Bunky Sorochak was one of the people who voted for the program. She hadn't ever heard that name, she said, but Williams still didn't get it. So, be careful if you intend to take direction from this ignoramus, and check out everything he says about anything before blindly following along. 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 verily authenticity. We do not publish anonymous letters, but will consider withholding the name in exceptional circumstances. We reserve the right to edit for length and grammar. 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 Peggy Young Grace R. Dove Advertising Acct. Exec. Reporter Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala Production Manager Classified/typesetting Jill Urbanas Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION Guest column An open letter to parents about education By RICHARD W. RILEY U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION As your children get ready to head back to schooland you count up the cost of new sneakers, jeans and book bags, you may be won- dering if there is anything more you can do to get your children ready for the school year ahead. You're exhausted from the shop- ping, a little tired of the summer and deep down, you're looking forward to school starting again. Anything else? Well, yes. I talk to parents all across the country and find that most of you are worried, frus- trated and sometimes just barely coping. The question I am always asked is, “How do [ know whether my child is learning what he or she needs to learn?" It's a ques- tion full of anxiety and doubt about the real fear that your children may not be getting the “leg up” in life they will need to get ahead. I hear you. For me, the essence of educa- "tion comes down to values, stan- dards, performance, and maybe— what to do about television. So how do we re-invent education? Setting challenging national edu- cational standards is important and we'll get that done. It is also important to raise the quality of teaching and get a fix on how we can help the majority of kids who don't go directly to four-year col- lege “jump start” their careers. We'll make progress on those, too. But, ultimately, the improve- ment of our children’s education is also a willingness to slow down the pace of our lives to help our children grow. Education starts with values. Most of us who have made a go of it in life have gotten ahead because we had a Mom, a Dad, a grandparent or a guardian who let us know where they stood about our sticking to our studies. Perhaps we didn't like it then but we know now that the values process worked, and still works. If a parent or a family member places value on integrity, a com- mitment to excellence, and study- ing hard, children come to school prepared tolearn. It's that simple. Parents create the frame; teach- ers help kids fill in the picture, Here, it is important to point out what may not be so obvious— these values can be stressed to children by anybody. A parent doesn't need a Ph.D. to make learning a priority in the home. If you haven't made it in life quite the way you expected, you can still make sure that your child does. A good education can do that. All those stories about chil- dren from rough or poor neigh- borhoods who succeed because a parent insisted that they crack the books make a convincing and telling point—drive, determination and focus still come from the family. Some folks say that setting high standards is unfair. I don't—if the students, teachers and par- ents work together to reach the higher standard. Children who get smart, get smart because they study and take tough courses to meet high standards. If you get beyond the ditto sheets to helping children read novels, create sto- ries, tackle real-life math prob- lems and get into the excitement of science, they will learn more and score higher on tougher tests. It doesn't really matter whether they come from high-income or low-income backgrounds. Set- ting standards, then, means en- couraging your child to take the tougher course, the tougher teacher. Be careful not to “dumb down” your own child...and don't let the school system do it either. So how do your raise perform- ance and give children a sense that they can do better? A school- teacher at my children’s school has a fondness for quoting Prov- erbs. Her favorite was, “A wise son loves correction.” My chil- dren were dutiful, to be sure, but not impressed by this passing wisdom. I am certain that your son or daughter will feel likewise. But we are in trouble as a nation when one-third of all eighth-grad- ers tell us that they have never discussed their homework with a parent. Here is my best advice—if a parent or parents will spend one hour with their children each night on their schoolwork this coming year, we will transform this na- tion. Teachers and schools should explain to you the practical ways you can help your children to learn. That's their job. But you have to set aside the time every day—place value, as it were—on the process of learning. Finally, a word about that friendly monster, television. chil- dren love “Barney” and that's great. And “Beavis and Butthead" is here to stay—of that I am sure. But wouldn't it be refreshing if parents got some help from televi- sion producers and executives? Some rule of proportion about violence and a willingness to ask a basic gut quesiton: “Is this good for kids or will this just well the product?” Inthe end, I supect, you'll be on your own when it comes to TV. The same little remote control button that can turn “on” your TV can also turn it “off”. Try it, then sit back. You may not always win the battle for the remote control but that may be where you have to start to make the process of lean- ring important again. Getting our kids back to school ultimately is more than a shop- ping trip for you or for me. It's a commitment to the possibility that our children can really have bet- ter lives if we all make the effort...together and now. The economic viewpoint New organization helps non-profit groups By HOWARD J. GROSSMAN vania Economy League which identified over 5,000 not-for-profit organizations in Pennsylvania, a proposal has been implemented to form the Pennsylvania Associa- tion of Non-Profit Organizations (PANO). The new organization is based in Philadelphia with an office in Pittsburgh and provides a variety of services important to the future of the Commonwealth and the not-for-profit community. Currently with a Board of 22 persons, PANO is one of 25 state- wide associations of non-profit organizations across the nation. Its strength is both the diversity of membership and the need to have a statewide alliance to represent the many-sided interests of Penn- sylvania's growing not-for-profit community. Battered by adverse publcity which has affected the non-for-profit community through the national United Way scandals and threatened by local govern- ment’s interest in taxing hereto- fore non taxable not-for-profits, the strength of partnerships be- tween and among not-for-profits has become an important avenue for expressing collective views of the profession and voluntary sec- tor. PANO was established in 1992 and provides a growing number of membership benefits to meet the increasing financial, managerial “If: you have not heard recently, the not-for-profit community of Pennsylvania has teamnetted. As ~ aresult of a study by the Pennsyl- and political pressures that non- profits face today. There is a sliding fee scale’ for -members “depending upon size of organiza: ‘tion. Dues range from $50 for ‘organizations with annual oper- ating expenses less than $50,000 to $500 for those organizations with budgets totaling over $3,000,000. PANO serves not- for-profit organizations who have 501-C-3, 501-C-4 or 501-C-6 federal tax exempt status and provides both directly, and as a conduit, the services and re- sources that are necessary to enable non-profits to fulfill their missions effectively. Some of the important benefits to PANO not-for-profit members include the following: —Assistance on issues related to managing a not-for-profit or- ganization, a Board of Directors and resources. This includes tele- phone calls to the central office for information, attending PANO workshops and seminars to learn about management issues, and participting in PANO “mixers” to network with other non-profit professionals and volunteers. —Group purchasing discounts on essential with free member- ship in the Joint Purchasing Corporation. In addition, dis- counts on unemployment com- pensation insurance through the National Non-Profit Unemploy- ment Trust are available. Com- petitive rates through MIDA/ Denticare or the Employers’ Den- tal Trust can be secured. —Free limited consultation services are available from a legal firm, an employee benefit firm, an architectural firm, and a restora- ‘tion construction firm. .—The quarerly newsletter, AGENCY, is available along with a 20% discount to receive the Di- rectory of Pennsylvania Founda- tions and a 20% discount on a publication titled “Non-Profit Is- sues” issued by a Philadelphia legal firm. —Information on emerging issues affecting the non-profit sector and public policy decisions that affect these organizations along with advocacy Support ona statewide basis. —Voting for the PANO Board of Directors and supporting a na- tional network of not-for-profits through the National Council of Non-Profit Organizations and Independent Sector. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, the PANO Board members include Howard J. Grossman, Executive Director, Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsyl- vania (EDCNP), Anna Cervenak, External Affairs Manager, Bell of Pennsylvania and Jeanne Bovard, Exectuive Director, Scranton Area Foundation. Additional informa- tion can be secured locally by contacting the Pocono Northeast Development Fund, Lynne Breza, 1151 Oak Street, Pittston, PA 18640 (717-655-5581). Howard Grossman is Executive Director of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He lives in Dallas. Only yesterday 60 Years Ago - Sept. 15, 1933 CHILDREN'S DAY HELD AT HARVEYS LAKE Youth was king for a day at Harvey Lake Picnic Grounds, Sunday when management played. host to about 15,000 children as the 1st annual Children's Day. Tickets distributed to children throughout this section gave the youngsters free access to the amusements, won for them, free. ice cream, soda, pretzels and other’ refreshments. Although it was planned to atl for a referendum in Dallas to’ decide whether 3.2 beer will con- tinue to be sold for consumption, indications were last night that the move would be abandoned temporarily. Plans have been abandoned on the advice of the attorney advising the followers of the cause. It was intimated that the movement will be revived again. You could get - Gold Seal 48 Ib. bag flour, $1.97; apricots, 2 Ig. cans 29¢; California, dried lima beans, 3 lbs., 25¢. 50 Years Ago - Sept. 10, 1943 GAS RATIONING COSTS | AREA MINER HIS JOB Refused additional gasoline ‘rationing coupons by Dallas War Price & Rationing Board, Henry Blank, Trucksville, a miner in Lance Colliery, applied last week for unemployment compensation and got it. Blank had to give up | his job because he was unable to get gasoline to take him to work on the night shift. He said he required gasoline to drive 416 miles a month, but that the Dal- las Board issued him a B ration book, sufficient for only 40 gal- lons every four months. Repeated appeals for more coupons had been denied by the board. The names of126 young men and women who have left Dallas Borough to enter their country's. service will be inscribed on the new honor roll which is being erected on Main St. \ ; 40 Years Ago - Sept. 11, 1953 VAVREK TO RETURN FROM P.O.W. CAMP = Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in Dallas Borough Grade School today to receive the blood so badly, needed in Korea. Helen Koslofsky, formerly of Harveys Lake will appear at the Rome Opera House during the coming season in the title role of Verdi's “Aida”. Sgt. John Vavrek, one of thé last prisoners released in Opera: tion Big Switch will be given a rousing welcome when he returns to his home in Demunds after 33. months spent in a North Korean- prison camp. 30 Years Ago - Sept. 12, wie SABIN ORAL POLIO VACCINE DISTRIBUTED The Session of Trinity United Presbyterian Church through pastor Rev. Andrew Pillarella plans for construction of a multi-pur-' pose church unit on Church Street. A capitol funds drive will be conducted in early December and hopefully construction ‘can be started in early spring. Sabin oral polio vaccine will be distributed to residents Sunday. Dropped on a cube of sugar for each applicant, it eliminates the necessity for injection by needle. Fair Chairman “Red” Ambrose reports that the Oct. 5 Fall Fair, sponsored by Dallas Rotary Club gains momentum daily and prom- ises to be another great Back Mountain activity rivaling the Lehman Horse Show and Back Mountain Library Auction in popularity and bringing specta- tors and exhibitors from a yiae area. 20 Years Ago - Sept. 13, 197s" NEW SENIOR CITIZENS" CENTER OPENS 1% an The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development announced last week effective September 5, local property and casualty agents can start selling HUD national flood insurance in Dallas Town- ship. Grand opening and dedication of the Dallas Senior Citizen-Multi- Purpoose Center at College Mis: ericordia was held Tuesday.. The center will be open Monday-Fri- day, 9 am.-4 p.m. Instruction will be given in painting, needle: work, crafts, ceramics and bridge: Group games, trips, parties, music groups are also available at the center. Popularitywise, the 1973 Dal; las Fall Fair was a huge success according to Dan Chapman, treas- urer of this year's affair. Chapman could give no specifics on how the fair did financially, reserving comment until all ticket sales and monies are in and most of the bills are paid. The new avenues that made this year’s fair the biggest yet were the helicopterand amuse: ment rides. R L fori >. ¥ @ 4 i i LJ L 8 fa 2
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers