4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 27, 1994 ~The Dallas Post rade Our 'wild kingdom reminds us of the natural world If you needed a reminder of how near the Back Mountain is to the wonders of nature, it came last week when game commission officers captured a bear that had been tearing down bird feeders in Dallas Township. The young bruin was lured by a trail of jelly doughnuts into a live trap set behind a home off Upper Demunds Road. Such is life for an animal only recently awakened from a long winter's nap. After being ‘measured and tagged, the bear was released deep in gamelands : ‘to the north. Then there were the beavers at Harveys Lake. It seems a 1 family there (of beavers; they mate for life) has disturbed the } i human population by building a dam that has backed up water in Harveys Creek. The busy animals also have stripped bark from many trees and the pond they've created is causing water to back up in basements and sewers. ~ One consequence of our proximity to the wild world is the ' threat of animal-borne disease, such as rabies and Lyme J RY % 2 4 disease. The Back Mountain Kiwanis Club sponsored a rabies vaccination clinic last weekend, and if you missed it you should get your domestic animals to a vet for the shot. Raccoons are ‘the most common carrier of rabies, and they are around in abundance. - With the onset of warm weather, it is wise to take precautions against illnesses from outdoor sources. For rabies, the smart- est tactic is avoiding contact with any animal that acts out of character. Keep a wide berth from a wild animal that appears friendly, or a pet that suddenly becomes aggressive or im- paired. Lyme disease is transmitted by small ticks that can attach = themselves to any part of the body. If you are going for a hike in the woods or fields, be sure your legs are covered. And when you return, check yourself and your children carefully for ticks on exposed areas of skin. We are fortunate to live in a place where the natural world is : ~ so easily accessible. Children growing up here see animals and plants in the wild not as remote subjects studied in books or viewed on a television screen, but as integral parts of the where they live. In the process, they are able to develop a clear understanding of how varied are the inhabitants of the earth, and how they can live together in harmony. That's a valuable 5 lesson, learned in a most pleasurable manner. ” Publisher's notebook | Ron Bartizek ‘Richard Nixon wasn't my favorite president, even before he ~ resigned after his role in the Watergate burglary and subse- quent coverup drove him from office. No modern American politician's career had as many highs and lows as Nixon's, most of the downside brought on by his own paranoia. Yet, he resurrected himself time and again as lesser rivals fell from the scene. Even after Watergate he wrote several excellent books and remained active in international affairs, which had always been his strength. - Two high points in Nixon's career were the “kitchen debate” in Moscow with Nikita Kruschev when Nixon was vice presi- - ~ dent, and the opening to China, accomplished during his presidency. Perhaps his own Machavellian persona provided Nixon with the tools to deal so effectively with America’s rivals over the years. All is not lost. To hear some observers of modern life, the younger generations are a bunch of uneducated selfish brats ill-equipped to take on adult responsibilities. Yet, each week's Dallas Post seems to have one or more articles about students winning awards, serving in leadership roles or distinguishing themselves in other ways. I guess it makes a difference who you choose to listen to. e000 " Speaking of misperceptions, did you see the ABC News speciallast week about crime in America? John Stossel's report showed how crime statistics are being used to frighten citizens and enhance politicians’ get-tough image, while the actual rate of crime is quite steady. I noticed the same thing at work during the last New York City mayoral election, as Rudolph Guiliani rode a wave of fear to victory, even as crime rates in the Big Apple were dropping. Now we have a new federal crime bill in the wings that will spend many billions building prisons in the nation that already has the largest prison population in the world. Go figure. e000 No good deed goes unpunished, it seems. Congressman Paul Kanjorski's Earth Conservancy plan offers this region some- thing seldom seen; a positive vision for the future. But the entrenched powers that be have done everything they can think of to shoot it down. Meanwhile, 15,000 acres of desolate land serves no usefull purpose other than lining the pockets of lawyers fighting to drag on bankruptcy proceedings as long as possible. So far, this has been a formula for maintaining the stagnant status quo in which this region has wallowed for 50 Or more years. RE = BELLO, 1 — GAME COMMISSION? Pez 1 THINK WEYE GOT AAs YOUR MISSING BEAR. 3; | pp A URN TD Only es A. Case for conservation Saving water: By ALENE N. CASE We've all seen them - those inserts in our utility bills that offer hints about conserving wa- ter in our home. We can probably recite them by heart: turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or lathering your body in the shower, use the dishwasher or clothes washer only when full, water your lawn in the evening, repair leaking faucets and toilets, don't pre-rinse the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher, etc., etc. And, many of us try to follow much of this advice when we remember. But, did you realize that 1900 gallons of freshwater is withdrawn for each American each day and we personally use only 50-150 gallons of that?! Certainly, we should try to go about our daily tasks without wasting water. However, I have come to the con- clusion that water conservation goes far beyond yelling at the kids when they leave the water run- ning while they brush their teeth. Let's look at some interesting facts and statistics. It takes 40,000 gallons of water to make the steel used in one automobile. Processing one gallon of gaso- line requires up to 70 gallons of water. If corn is grown where it must be irrigated, it takes 26 gallons of water to produce one ear. Producing one pound of pork requires 430 gallons of water. Recycling paper saves more than half the water required to make virgin paper. Manufacturing aluminum from recycled scrap can reduce water use by 97%! : If you buy a fast-food lunch of a hamburger, French fries, and a soft drink, you would never guess that it took 1,400 gallons of water to produce the food and put it in more than turning off the tap front of you. I contend that we must first become aware of our collective water use before we can effec- tively conserve it. Let's begin with pricing. Obviously, when we purchase that meal at the fast- food place, we are not buying all 1,400 gallons of water that went into making the meal. No, we already bought some of the water when our tax money was used to subsidize agricultural production. There are likely also petroleum processing or transportaiton subsidies that further reduce the cost of our lunch. And, the $3.00 we pay the cashier certainly doesn’t cover the cost of treat- ment of the 1,400 gallons of used water. Municipal taxes and fees usually take care of those costs. Even more troubling is that in our part of the United States one half of all the water in an average distribution system is never deliv- ered to a customer. Itis lost. The. old piping has so many leaks that: the people in the “trade” have a rather humorous term for this huge waste of good water - they say that they are experiencing “transmission losses.” (The last time I experienced a “transmis- sion loss,” my car did not go much further!) 50% is a lot of water, and we are all paying for that unused water to be pumped and treated. Replacing old pipes is an expen- sive proposition, but it could be well worth it in the long run. According to the American Water Works Association, about half of the largest water suppliers in the nation now use some form of conservation pricing. A few years ago many companies actu- ally penalized people for using less water - if you used a small amount, you were charged more per unit than larger users. Some companies still do this but most either have uniform pricing or charge larger users more per unit. The city of Boulder, CO realized a one-third reduction in water use when they simply installed water meters. The Boston area essen- tially created 50 million gallons per day of “new” water sources by instituting aggressive conserva- tion measures which cost much less than any other sources previ- ously considered. Since agriculture consumes approximately 70% of all water use, we should think seriously about our eating practices. Or- ganic farming techniques require only one quarter of the water used in conventional farming. Simply leaving a field fallow for a year can double or triple yields of wheat the next year. We should try to buy more food that is grown lo- cally or where irrigation is not necessary. Importing so much food from California is a losing proposition. We should also try to eat more fruits and vegetables instead of meats - raising cattle and hogs requires almost unbe- lievable amounts of water and much of that water also becomes polluted. Before the next water crisis hits, let's all give some creative thought towater use. Let's landscape with perennials, bushes and trees that require less water than annuals or Kentucky bluegrass. Let's grow our own fruits and vegetables or buy from local farms and orchards. Let's make sure that our water company is charging rates that encourage conservation and that pipes are being replaced on a reasonable schedule. Let's ask our municipal officials to give financial incentives to homeown- ers and businesses that install water saving plumbing fixtures when they build or remodel. In other words, let's do much more than turn off the water while we brush our teeth. 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 Production Manager Olga Kostrobala i Classified/t i Jill Urbanas ed/typesetting Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION As | was saying... Low tar or not, cigarettes are 'coffin nails’ By JACK HILSHER Recently I noticed a red sticker ona cigarette machine. Did Iread it correctly...$2.50? Yes. Per PACK? Yes again. Not having bought any for over ten years, and having paid only a quarter per pack years before that, I think my surprise was understandable. Who uses these machines? How do their minds work? Don't they read the Surgeon General's warning label: “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema and May Complicate Pregnancy?” Lobbyists for the “Tobacco Institute” pressured Congress for years to keep such cautions off cigarette packs, then, when al- lowed in 1965, said only “Smok- ing may be hazardous to your health.” It took five more years to get that strengthened to saying that “smoking is dangerous” but still short of ever mentioning those verboten words “death” and “addiction.” The Institute yelled A i i I lS AL, es - ese. ry, RP, “e tn bloody murder everytime they were proposed. Yet deaths of over 350,000 yearly more than justi- fied pack warnings. Those same label warnings appear in cigarette ads also, ads produced by expensive agencies for companies who can well afford them. Can they ever? Two indus- try giants - RJ. Reynolds and Philip Morris - recently announced sales of over 18 billion dollars combined! The ads such megabucks buy are full of pretty faces and short slogans like: “Easygoing Low Tar Capri,” or “Good Taste, Low Tar.” Or “Carlton is lowest in tar,” and this long one from a brand called “NOW™"..."It's curl-up time on a rainy night. You light up. Smooth. Mild. Flavorful. Low tar. Low tar? Used to be low tar meant’ low expectations. Well, dear reader, that was then. This is NOW...the low tar way to smoke." Well, dear column reader, that low tar stuff happens to be utter nonsense. Yes, tar does affect the lungs to some degree, but the 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 do not publish anonymous letters, but will consider withholding the name in ex- worst damage is done by a color- less, odorless gas - carbon mon- oxide by name - which is noticea- bly present in all cigarette smoke. It does its dirty work by cutting down on oxygen in your red blood cells and chewing away at the lining of your blood vessels. A stroke could follow. So why all the low-tar garbage? Why not, if readers are gullible enough to shell out $2.50 per pack they will also swallow silly low-tar pitches. A few months ago the READER'S DIGEST devoted eight full pages to how “clever advertis- ing seduces the world's children by U.S. tobacco companies ag- gressively, marketing cigarettes abroad.” (That's because sales are slumping in the U.S. and have been for years.) There's a vast market out there, just waiting to be tapped. I could go on but won't. Let's just close with a short question...doyou remember when cigarettes were called “coffin nails?” Well, they still are. ceptional circumstances. We reserve the right to edit for length and grammar. 60 Years Ago - May 4, 1934 INDIAN CHIEF VISITS BORO HIGH SCHOOL School taxes in Dallas Borough will be raised from 25 to 30 mills ! for the coming year to offset the : deficit incurred by previous school boards, according to an announce: ment made by members of the board of education at a meeting of | the Borough Taxpayers Associa = tion held in the high school audi- " torium Friday night. {15 One of the biggest crowds on record for Back Mountain enter-. tainment is expected to partiei-, pate in the homecoming celebra- : tion in honor of Rev. J.J. O'Leary, | pastor of St. Therese's parish next Wednesday in the Trucksville High - School. Plans were completed for the minstrels which will feature! the affair. Chief Blackbird, whose Chip-, pewa tribe ruled the wilderness of : North Wisconsin, came to Dallas - Borough High School to relate the. inspiring story of his unselfish ' work on behalf of the Red man. The student body greeted him enthusiastically. 50 Years Ago - April 28, 1944 LEHMAN KIDS' PAPER". DRIVE NETS 2 TONS Daddow-Isaacs Post 672° American Legion has accepted responsibility for maintenance of the Dallas Borough Honor Roll and all funds in the hands of the: Honor Roll Committee have been turned over to the legion. = ~~ Supported by the State admini- stration forces on an independent Harold E:. Flack, incumbent, defeated Roy '“¢ Parry, Luzerne contractor by 184": votes in Tuesday's balloting for Republican ticket, the Republican nomination’ for Representative in the State Legis- lature. . Lehman students completed a year of collecting papers, Wednes- day by bringing in 5,215 Ibs. of papers and 500 lbs. of rags. The" drive was sponsored by the Dallas Woman's Club. 40 Years Ago - April 30, 1954, «“ NO SCHOOL DISTRICT JOINTURE THIS YEAR" Representatives of five Back Mountain School Districts meet- ing last Friday at Dallas-Franklin' High School rejected any proposal to have the matter of a union district placed ‘upon the ballot“ this fall. Representatives of the": smaller districts said they were - sure taxpayers of their townships would not approve a union dis- trict with higher taxes for better schools. It was agreed that none of the five townships would.con-': sider a larger jointure or union * district including Dallas Borough and Kingston Township. on Two hundred seventy five per- sons gathered Wednesday evening at Irem Temple Country Club fo witness a national honor, The _ | Lafayette Baton, bestowed upon. Professor R.J.W. Templin of Dal las, retiring superintendent of West Pittston schools. Highs You could get - Porterhouse steaks, 75¢ lb.; frying chickens, 43¢ 1b.; Gerbers Junior baby food, 12 jars, $1.65; bananas, 2 Ibs. 23¢; new potatoes 10 lbs., 39¢. 30 Years Ago - April 30, 1964. | TOLL-FREE CALLS TO © VALLEY SETUP = Voters of Lake Township de- : feated a move to merge the five | school districts into one unit: acceptable to the State at Tues- . day's election. The jointure will | lose around $10,000 which it could have used to advaritage. The remainder of the State bonus ; for merger will still be available to the four districts which voted to : merge. ae Beginning of toll-free service | between Dallas and Kingston- | Wilkes-Barre on March 11, mile- stone in the history of Common- * wealth Telephone Co. in this area . should assist immeasurably in : the further residential, commer-- cial and industrial development; of the community. Sandy Beach, Harveys Lake, will open May 8 and will continue! availble for the pleasure of its: customers every Friday, Satur-: day and Sunday from this time: on. 20 Years Ago - May 2, 1974 | NEW PANCAKE HOUSE | OPENS IN DALLAS TWP. Dry conditions in woods and fields coupled with careless burn- ing during spring yard clean up | I [3 have led to a rash of fires in the Back Mountain area in the last several weeks. . Perkins Pancake & Steak House, the area's newest dining place, located at the intersection of Rtes. 309 & 415 near the Dallas Village Shopping Center, will seat 120 persons and will be open tem- porarily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. . Twelve policemen from the West Side and Back Mountain areas took a 30-hour training course in handling mental health emergen- cies and family disturbances, > yesterday. | pr 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers