The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 15, 1994 5 Ml by Paul Rismiller @Ghostwriter ‘Asif there aren't enough disin- ‘centives for achievement in today's sdciety, most provided by the friendly folks in Sodom-on-the- Potomac (A.K.A. Washington, " D.C.), now the Department of Edu- - cation has thoughtfully decided to ‘stiff our fourth and fifth graders. ‘Each year, students in those ‘grades can receive the "Presiden- tial Academic Fitness Award" by maintaining a 90% average, and ‘scoring 85% in Math and Reading on their achievement tests. ' ‘Now, department bureaucrats have, in their infinite wisdom, de- cided to limit the awards to the top 5% ofthe students in these grades, regardless of how many actually qualify. Who will decide which students will receive recognition for their academic excellence, and which will be ignored? . Will it be left to the teachers? The administrators? Some face- less clerk in D.C.? I haven't got a clue, and apparently, neither does the Dept. (I wonder if there's going tobe'a similar cutback in the "Presi- dential Physical Fitness Awards"? ,Given current priorities in America, I. seriously doubt it.) ..~. Whatis the point of putting forth your best effort, if there is no re- ward? Where there is no incentive, ‘there will be no effort. . The recent decision by Stanford University to reinstate failing grades is another shocking ex- ample of such nonsense. Shock- ing, because in my college days, which were not that long ago, you were held accountable for your performance. At Stanford, the F was banned 20 years ago. In‘ those 20 years, what incen- tive did students have to excel, when a conscientious student who studied forexams and did research was passed along with some clown Dept. of Ed. slights kids; education for taxpayers whose only interest in studying was taste testing various brews? I urge parents to write the De- partment of Education and voice your concern over yet another at- tempt to replace equality of oppor- tunity with equality of outcome. 00 And speaking of studying, for any taxpayer who is feeling over- burdened these days (and who isn't?) two books by Martin Gross are must reading. The Washington Racket: A to Z, and A Call To Revo- lution show how the federal government's grasp is exceeding its reach, and bankrupting the country in the process. Granted, the title of the second book is a bit incendiary, but the subtitle says it all: How Washing- ton Is Strangling America, And How We Can Stop It. Gross details how many federal agencies are dupli- cating efforts, many of which are questionable to begin with; how an overpriced, bloated, and patchwork welfare system is enslaving mil- lions in poverty; and how a spend- thrift Congress is spending money faster than we can make it. Among the more disgusting facts Gross reveals: * Over three hundred Demo- cratic and Republican party work- ers are on the federal payroll. * How real campaign finance and lobbying reforms are squashed by the Congressional leadership. * How the over-hyped report on government efficiency by Vice Presi- dent Al Gore makes cuts that are, to be kind, modest; to be honest, ludicrous. Gross outlines clear and direct reforms on how to cut the pork and waste, and how to cut the federal bureaucracy in half within 5 - 8 years through attrition. The most intriguing idea is the use of the Initiative, in those states fortunate enough to have it, and pressure on state legislatures in those which don't, to make an end run around the professional politi- calclass on three subjects on which they've been thumbing their col- lective noses at us: The Line Item Veto * A Balanced Budget Amend- ment. e Term Limits for Congress. If enough people read these books, and take action on their recommendations, we may be able to rein in a federal government careening out of control. ® 00 Will people ever learn? A perfect example of the type of pork that the citizenry cannot af- ford is Congressman Paul "PAC- Man" Kanjorski's proposed inflat- able dam/riverfront marina project. While many may be rejoicing that Big Paul has gained enough seniority in Congress to bring home the bacon, they're missing the big picture. Yes, it may bring an infu- sion of federal dollars to our hard- pressed local economy - but it's all smoke and mirrors: those federal dollars are being picked out of our pockets, and the pockets of tax- payers across the country. Now multiply the cost of this boondoggle (Which I can guaran- tee will be far greater than present estimates when and if completed) by the number of the members of Congress and you'll have an idea of how taxpayers are being taken for just one piece of pork for each and every Congressman and Senator - and they generally don't settle for one per year. This doesn't even take into con- sideration the still to -be found county contribution for raising the dikes, and the cost of finally clean- ing up mine run-off to make the water fit to swim in. There's little question that Wilkes-Barre, and the Wyoming Valley in general, could make bet- ter use of its riverfront parks, but the cost of constructing and main- taining an inflatable dam is very questionable indeed. This district, and all of the oth- ers that make up the nation, would be far better served if Congress- man Kanjorski and his compatri- ots would concentrate on getting Uncle Sam's long fingers out of our wallets, intead of dreaming up new ways of spending our money. Besides, those with the great good fortune to own a recreational craft can still float their boats in Harveys Lake. | Library news Fearsome Grendel stalks the By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library has been inundated with green Grendel monsters, thanks to the Humanities I class at Lake- Lehman High School. This class is a team taught experience. Mr. John Comity and Mrs. Jean Lipski, guide the students from the be- ginning of man to the Renais- sance, through the use of art, architecture, music, literature and history. Many of the lessons in- clude projects which are directly related to the literature being presented. After readng the epic Beowulf, studénts were required to con- struct their version of the mon- ster Grendel. Each student then explained his or her Grendel to the class, giving the interpreta- tion-and the steps and materials necessary for building his mon- ster. - The project ranged from stuffed animals to paper mache to creatures complete with illumi- nated eyes and pre-recorded sounds. Each freshman devised ATHLETIC FOOTWEAR » CASUAL FOOTWEAR » CASUAL APPAREL » HUGE SELECTION, /LOW PRICE! a Grendel which reflected thought and creativity. The display case at the library is filled with Grendels, they are on the CD cabinet; book shelf, chil- dren's card catalog and two larger ones on the adult card catalog. A rather furry large one is on the computer table in the office area. They are in many forms and are really a unique spectacle to see. Books included with the Gren- dels include: “Beowulf” retold by Rosemary Sutcliff; “Grendel” by John Gardner; and “Siegfried and Beowulf” by Zebaude A. Ragozin, 1898 copyright. These Grendels can be seen at the library until July 6 and are worth a trip just to see this Grendel project and read the stories about them. The Kick-Off party for the 48th annual library auction was held at Yesterdays in Trucksville and and was attended by 55 fun-lov- ing and enthusiastic bidding supporters of the library. Auc- tioneers included Dale Duncan, Joe Stager and John Shaskas. Our library auction and library o | PUT YOURSELF IN THE HOLE WITHOUT ~~ PUTTING YOURSELF IN THE HOLE library's halls volunteers are indeed “A rare breed” as quoted in our local paper in 1983, and unique to the Back Mountain and are a part of the heartbeat of the community. A quote from 1982 said ‘Cheers’ the Back Mountain Memorial Library is really ‘one for the books’. It proves that many of the impor- tant things which benefit a com- munity can be done best by its own people if they are sufficiently immersed in the cause. Auction number 48 is due to begin this year on Thursday, July 7 at 6 p.m. Come and support your library! The library Book Club will hold its final meeting on Monday, June 20 at 1:30 in the reference room. Rev. James Wert of Shavertown will present a special program on his favorite hobby, trolleys. He will have a video and trolleys of interest for the program. This will be the last Book Club meeting until September. Members and friends of the community are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served. A SNEAKER KING Just in time for Father's Day! Sneaker King is offering huge savings on all golf shoes from Nike, Etonic and more. Selection includes waterproof, ,Gore-tex, traditional and the the new "sneaker-style" shoes. 4 Whether you're a serious golfer or you just like to putt around, drive to Sneaker King's golf shoe sale today! SNEAKER KING ROYAL VALUES FROM HEAD TO TOE. adi) 7774 COUNTRY CLUB SHOPPING CTR, DALLAS » MUNDY ST., W-B ¢ MAIN ST., PLAINS AND 6 OTHER LOCATIONS! AUCTION ACTION - The Back Mountain Library Auction took place for years at Howard Risley's barn on Lehman Avenue. Risley, publisher of The Dallas Post, was the prime mover in starting the auction in 1947. This photo is dated 1952. Library Auction Corner For 47 summers, the people of the Back Mountain have come together to donate their goods, services and time for the auction block of the Back Mountain Memorial Library. The life of the library is a year-to-year proposition, and the auction is crucial to its operation. Twenty-five percent of the annual budget comes from the auction. This year's 48th annual auction will be held July 7-10 at the library grounds on Huntsville Road in Dallas. Any and all donations of cash or saleable items can help assure continued service of the library to our communities. For more information, call the library at 675-1182. July 7-8-9-10 A sampler of items that will be on sale: Bowling ball, Back Mountain Bowl Oak library table $75 in gift certificates, Acropolis Restaurant "Support the Back Mountain Library: ! One-fourth of the library's annual budget comes You can help. Your donation of an item or money from the auction. will help your library survive and prosper. 0 Here's my donation to the Back Mountain Memorial Library I Name Phone Address City/State Q | have an item to donate. Call me for details. Q Here's a cash donation of $ to help the library. I Mail or bring to: Back Mountain Memorial Library f 96 Huntsville Road, Dallas PA 18612 | call 675-1182 if you have any questions. Donations are tax-deductible. This message donated as a public service by The Dallas Post Get ready! Get set! Join PEP! Wyoming Valley Health Care System's new PL Pregnancy Exercise Program Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30 - 11:30 AM or 7 - 8 PM at the Aerobics Studio, TPS Medical Pavilion 468 Northampton Street, Edwardsville . a fitness program devised specifically for the needs of pregnant women and new mothers - includes low-impact step aerobics, using American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines of February 19, 1994 . A.C.E. certified instructors - babysitting available ($1 per child aged 6 weeks to 12 years) - free parking . $25 per month - physician consent required To register or for more information, please call 283-4528. PA state flag, Sen. Charles Lemmond Marble top buffet Permanent, Shear Magic salon 4 1 i | o & N Zip A service of Wyoming Valle Health Care S stem
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers