| | 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, February 9, 1994 The Dallas Post Volunteering can strengthen your town You probably didn't notice the last couple of sentences in a story from Jackson Township in last week's issue of The Post. It wasn't about budgets or taxes, or even about the weather. It was about volunteers. : Walter Glogowski, chairman of the township supervisors, announced that Jackson Township was planning to.form a committee that would oversee cable television in the commu- nity. You see, as an earlier Post article pointed out, without such a regulatory committee the township lacks any power to oversee pricing of what is essentially a monopoly. But that wasn't even the best part of the story; that came. ‘when Glogowski invited anyone who might be interested in serving on the group to contact township secretary Henry Zbiek. What's so important about that, you might ask? Simply this; Jackson Township, like all Back Mountain communities, is home to dozens—make that hundreds—of accomplished, skilled people in a wide range of disciplines. There are bankers, lawyers, doctors, scientists, educators, tradesmen, architects ‘and many more. They all live here, and represent an enormous pool of talent from which can come useful ideas and helpful 'suggestions...and it would all be free. But they aren't asked frequently enough. Too often, the only people assisting town governments are the people who already work for the town, or others who have a financial interest in events. That's not unexpected, since those are the folks most likely to take time to attend meetings or follow a problem from beginning to end. It's not that supervisors and councilmen should be expected to beg on bended knee. It would just be nice if they asked more often for help from the entire talent pool in their community, “and in the region. There are any number of challenges that a little extra help might make easier to face, from planning and zoning issues to money management. How about a future planning committee with no official duties except to anticipate the pressures and opportunities that await the Back Mountain in the next century? There's another positive side to this concept. When people take the time to assist their town, they see it and their neighbors differently. It's no longer just a place to rest their head at night, or to make a real estate purchase, it becomes a place where they've invested a part of themselves. And the local government is no longer “them,” it becomes “us,” a group of people who care about the place they live in, where their children play, their home. There may still be plenty of disagree- ments about the right course to take, but at least we ll all be on the ship todethel* =» 5.2 ¥ * "Maybe it sounds silly in this age of movement ‘and confron- fait but there's something satisfying about giving a bit of your time and talent to your neighbors, about taking charge of your affairs instead of complaining about them. Listening to gripe shows on radio, or watching them on television won't do a thing for your town or your nation. All that does is leave a wide open playing field for the people bold and savvy enough to get involved, who may not share your concerns and goals. ~The old saying still holds: “If not now, when? If not me, who?” Publisher's notebook - President Clinton’s plan for the nation’s health care system took a couple of body blows last week when two big-business organizations rejected it as even a starting point to reform. But was this a surprise, when major players in these groups are insurance companies? - Perhaps the biggest problem with health care in America is the mind-boggling confusion created by hundreds of different coverage options. I received a notice from our HMO last week, informing me that they wouldn't necessarily pay for every procedure to which I was referred by my primary care physi- cian. Huh? I thought that was the whole point of an HMO-type system, to make the family doctor the gatekeeper and thereby avoid unnecessary expense. The notice went on to explain that primary care physicians aren't fully aware of the benefits ~ provided for each member because contracts vary by group. In other words, there are several HMO contracts, some of which cover more than others. That leads to confusion, complaint and massive administrative expense. - Why can't insurance companies be required to offer one comprehensive plan, and a handful of separate policies for additional coverage at added cost? ; (1) JR 0 Can there be any dumber owner of a Sports ear Phoenix Cardinals’ chief Bill Bidwill? He's the fool 4 Buddy Ryan as head coach and general manager last week proving once again that you can fool some of the people. I don't know how Bidwill made his fortune, but whatever acumen he demonstrated on his rise to riches surely has been lost since he became a big-shot sports team owner. 000 Tonya Harding and Jeff Gillooly certainly wouldn't be on the “invitation list if Charlotte and I were giving a dinner party. At least, not if it was in the dining room. I'd be concerned that we would have to repaint the walls after they finished throwing food, or whatever else was available, at each other. The Dallas Post Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc < ' P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 2, Telephone: 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Editor and Publisher Charlotte E. Cling 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 © | - Exchange ~ seeking local host families for foreign exchange students, 15 to _ 18 years of age from Scandinavia, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, * Mexico, Japan, Thailand,” Can- | DARE You 0 hs CROSS THAT LINE! Letters Man affects the earth's 5 climate? N lo way! Editor, Iwas spellbound by the pd less conclusions and unsubstan- tiated facts presented in the article Are we really changing the earth's climate. Responding affirmatively the author attests, with undis- puted authority, that “most sci- entists agree the greenhouse ef- fect is real”, then proceeds to disprove their claim by pointing out that global cooling is also taking place!’ Obviously, and in fact, there is no basis for stating that most scientists adhere to the greenhouse theory. Nor is there one shred of research to provide conclusive support for either global warming or global cooling. Indeed, they are mutually exclu- sive theories, which contradict one another. Nor is there any conclusive evidence to support the frivolous contention that man is the cause of global climatic changes. On the contig: a single volcano i spews more noxious contaminants into the air than all the pollution cre- ated by man since the Industrial Revolution began. Despite local- ized smog zones, man’s contribu- tion to global air pollution is like a grain of sand on a beach. Fur- thermore, (for those of you who believe in evolution) science pur- ports the natural phenomena called the “ice age” that came and went over hundreds of thousands of years, without man's interven- tion! Yet despite the baseless premise that man is causing SOMETHING bad to happen, people respond tothe hollow cries of panic peddlers to fund more research, before it's too late. From all of the commotion you would think we will just wake up some morning to see our yards sporting iguanas and cactus in the sand pit that was once our lawn. Which leads us to the weiter’ Ss conclusion thatifwedon’t send our tax dollars to fund this absurd research we “won't be prepared for real climatic change when it comes.” This knee-jerk reaction to the fear mongering is not only presumptuous but sim- plistic. How does one prepare for such an event, 70,000 years in advance? Depending on which view you subscribe to, I suppose the government could stock up on mittens, or we could store billions of gallons of suntan oil in under- ground salt mines. Maybe both. When it happens, we'll be ready either way. ) A ‘The last thing 1 want is more of my hard earned dollars going to fund this kind of trifling research. I would rather invest it in long underwear stock and sell short on sunglasses when there are icicles in July! Charles J. Rupert Sweet Valley JW.J By J.W. JOHNSON "Fellow-feeling, sympathy in the broadest sense, is the most im- portant factor in producing a healthy political and social life. Neither our national nor our local civic life can be what it should be unless it is marked by the tellow-feeling, the mutual kind- ness, the mutual respect, the sense of common duties and common interests, which arise when men take the trouble to understand one another, and associate together fo for a common ; het Avery large shireof the rancor Lu political and social strife arises either from sheer misunderstand- ing by one section, or by one class, of another, or else from the fact that the two sections, or two classes, are so cut off from each other that neither appreciates the other's passions, prejudices, and, indeed, point of view, when they are both entirely ignorant of their community of feeling as regards the essential of manhood and for religious toleration is due the impossibility of persecution of a particular creed. When in their earliest and most impressionable years, Protestants, Catholics and Jews go to the same schools, learn the same lessons, play the same games, and are forced in the rough-and ready democracy of boy life, to take each at his true worth, it is impossible later to make the disciples of one creed persecute those of another. From the evils of religious persecution America is safe. From the evils of sectional hostility we are, at any rate, far safer than we were. The war with Spain was the most absolutely righteous foreign war in which any nation engaged during the 19th century, and not the least of its many good features was the unity it brought about between the sons of the men who wore the blue, and of those who wore the gray. This necessarily meant that dying out of the old antipathy. Of course, embers smolder here and there; but the country at large is growing more and more to take pride in the valor, the self-devo- tion, the loyalty to an ideal, dis- played alike by the soldiers of both sides in the Civil War. We are all united now. We are importance of reserving’ “the Union has gone the recognition of the fact that at the outbreak of the Civil War men could not cut loose from the ingrained habits and Required reading for all aspiring politicians traditions of generis and that the man from the North and the man from the South each was loyal to his highest ideal of duty when he drew sword or shoul- dered rifle to fight to the death for what he believed to be right. I do not for a moment mean that mistakes will not be commit- ted in every section of the coun- try; they certainly will be, and in whatever section they are com- mitted it will be our duty to pro- test against them, and to try to overthrow those who are respon- sible for them; but I do mean to say that in the long run each section is going to find that its ‘welfare, instead of being antago- nistic to, isindissolubly bound up in, the welfare of other sections; and the growth of means of com- munication, the growth of educa- tioninits highest and finest sense, means the growth of a sense of solidarity throughout the coun- try, in the feeling of patriotic pride of each American in the deeds of all other Americans—of pride in the past history and present and future greatness of the shole Country’ GT current political correctness ab- surdities, it should be required reading for every person currently in, or who aspires to, public office. Nuf said. Foreign exchange programs ASSE International Student rog (ASSE) is ada, Australia and New Zealand. These students speak English, are bright, curious and anxious to learn about this country through living as part of a family, attending high school and shar- ing their own culture and lan- guage with their newly adopted host family. The students are Sponsored by Swedish and Finnish Depart- ments of Education. ASSE also cooperates with the Canadian Provincial Ministries of Educa- tion and is approved by the Aus- at the end of the school year. Each ASSE student is fully in- sured, brings his or her own per- sonal spending money and ex- pects to bear his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal fam- ily activities and lifestyles. ASSE is also ag local a ; ao ool st \SSE tralian and New Zealand Depart: 3 1 ter Noir country snorty before school begins and return seeks hosts dents should be between 15 and 18 years old and interested in living with a host family, attend- ing school and learning about the lands and people of their host an ma through living with a warm and giving volunteer fam- ily. Academic year and shorter term summer vacation programs are available. Those persons interested in obtaining more information about becoming a host family or becom- ing an exchange student should contact ASSES local representa- Only yesterday 60 Years Ago - Feb. 16, 1934 NO NEW ATHLETIC FIELD FOR BORO The Dallas Borough Council at its meeting Tuesday night turned down the proposal of L.A. McH- enry to give the borough an ath- letic field iflocal authorities would have it graded and purchase $1,400 worth of nearby lots on the Goss Manor plot. The council - felt that the expense of such a project was too great to bear at this time. Lee Tracy, Shavertown's con- tribution to motion pictures is holding off accepting offers by movie magnates after they cancelled his film contract after his Mexican episode several months ago. As true accounts began to minimize the serious- ness of Tracy's offense Hollywood ~ began to regret its snap judgment and offers began pouring in.. You could get - Pot roast 10¢ lb.; veal legs, loins or rumps 14¢ Ib.; pork loin roast, 15¢ Ib.; Crisco, 1 Ib. can, 19¢; Hot Cross buns, 10¢ doz. 50 Years Ago - Feb. 11, 1944 MEN TO FORM NEW COMMUNITY BAND With a fairly large representa- tion present Monday night at a meeting of Dallas Township Honor Roll Board Association, they per- fected plans for a drive extending from Feb. 15-28 for funds to make improvements on the Service Roll. The committee plans to repaint the board, beautify the surround- ings and purchase a new flag. Acting on the suggestion of Dr. F. Budd Schooley that there area © number of men who would like to join a community musical organi- zation, Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Co. has appointed him general chairman of its band and orches- tra organization committee with a first meeeting to be held Sunday at Schooley’s home. Asits partin aiding the 4th War Loan Drive, Shaver Theatre will admit free any person buying a - war bond or turning in a war stamp book for a bond Friday or Saturday during the showing of “Salute To The Marines.” 40 Years Ago - Feb. 12, 1954 AMBULANCE DRIVE IS WELL UNDER WAY William Wright, chairman of Dallas Community Ambulance Association fund drive now under. way, states that response has been’ excellent, with about one tenth of: the necessary fund raised. He made it plain that money was-not going to be wasted on too expen- sive equipment. The announced goal of $10,000 was set to cover a multitude of other expenses in: addition to an ambulance. The interior of the Dallas 'Bor- ough Building is being redeco-. rated. Contractor Clyde Veitch has recently installed partitions on the: ground floor dividing the former sales room for offices for Burgess H.A. Smith and Chief of Polcie Russell Honeywell. 30 Years Ago - Feb. 13, 1964 4 AREA MAN INKS PRO FOOTBALL CONTRACT George Bednar, son of Mrs. George Bednar, Shavertown, has - had his childhood dreams have come true. He started playing football as a boy; now as a Notre Dame senior, he has just been signed by St. Louis Cardinals. His Back Mountain neighbors will watch his progress with great interest and best wishes for, con- tinued success go out to him. Maryjane Moss, Trucksville, a student at Wilkes College and graduate of Westmoreland School, : reassured Dallas School Board of need for preliminary instritc- in ‘German in thé schools. e referred to a recent account in this paper of objections to Ger= man remaining in the present curriculum and said that all stu- dents registered for philosophy, science and math are required to study it. High school introdue: tion to the subject would greatly facilitate advanced study, she felt. “Boys Night Out™ with James Garner and Kim Novak now play- ing at the Luzerne Theatre. 20 Years Ago - Feb. 14, 1974 HOME RULE MAY CcoME TO KINGSTON TWP. Kingston Township may have a 4 new system of local government the near future, providing vot- ‘approve recommendations: of "the township's Home Rule Study Commission when they go to the polls May 21. Its new proposed system of government would en= tail electing a 5-member board in place of the three current town- ship supervisors. Robert MacGregor, director of Health and Hospital Planning Council of NE PA, told the officers and board of the Dallas Fall Fair. {that a hospital was not needed in; $7" the Dallas Area. » © > LE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers