EE —— 4 TheDallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 20, 1994 The Dallas Post Youth sports teach valuable lessons Winning isn't the only thing The boys and girls of summer are winding down their seasons with play in all-star competition, and Back Mountain players have done themselves proud. That doesn’t mean they've won every game, but that they have played hard and conducted themselves responsibly whether on the winning or losing side of the scoreboard. ‘Organized sports such as Little League baseball and softball teach young people important lessons beyond how to hit or catch. Those things can be learned in the backyard by tossing a ball against a fence. Team play is another matter, especially when an opponent, coaches and fans are thrown into the mix. With rare exceptions, adults working with Back Mountain youngsters behave admirably. Coaches almost universally encourage opposing players and show real concern if they appear tobe injured on the field. Fans are mostly the same, able - to admire an outstanding performance by an opponent as well as by their own children. There have been exceptions, of course, and always will be. Perhaps they are part of the learning experience just as much as how to track a fly ball or execute a double play. Everyone in the working world knows people who never outgrew a juvenile emphasis on winning each minor battle in life. After we grow up, we often feel pity for them, since they must have so little to cling to for sustenance. The benefits of team play aren’t hard to divine; respect for others, the need to sometimes subvert one’s own desires to the good of the team, how to lose (and win) gracefully, and the importance of support from peers and superiors are among them. Everyone who plays — all-star or not — gets some of those lessons, along with the thrill of making a key play or stroking the winning hit now and then. So, congratulations to everyone who helps with youth sports, and to the youngsters who participate. In the end, it’s only a game, but the fun is accompanied by valuable experience. Publisher's notebook Congressman Paul Kanjorski must be avery frustrated man. Rather than being met with backslaps and congratulatory notes, his success at bringing home some budget bacon in the form of the Earth Conservancy is being criticized and scruti- nized by everyone from radio jerk jocks to The New York Times. The Times piece was really quite tame, serving to illustrate how federal money becomes “earmarked” for specific projects. The congressman's sharp-edged rebuttals have only served to egg on his opposition. Iam baffled at the opposition to his scheme. If it does nothing else, it will put an end to the appalling waste of money that is the nation’s longest bankruptcy case. After 18 years of lawyers feeding on the carcass at everyone else’s expense, you would think people would support a plan that pays back taxes, keeps Blue Coal land from becoming the world’s largest dump, and may even provide attractive jobs. What's wrong with that? 000 The tragic accidental death of a Franklin Township 4-year- old is a stark reminder of how quickly the objects of our love can be taken from us. Whether or not the actual cause of her death is found, Megan Ann Reilly's family will forever miss the opportunity to help her grow into the joyful, competent adult she showed every sign of becoming. Negligence apparently played no part in this tragedy. Megan was watched carefully by her swimming instructors, and in seconds was removed from the pool after falling in. She even spoke after being pulled from the water, and was applauded by other children for bouncing back so quickly. Our hearts go out to the Reilly family. We hope they are able to come to terms with this sorrowful chapter in their lives, and can cherish the short time they were given to wonder at the remarkable little person who graced their hearts and home. 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 donot publish anonymousletters, 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 Grace R. Dove Reporter Peggy Young Advertising Acct. Exec. Paul Rismiller Production Manager Olga Kostrobala . Classified/typesettin Jill Urbanas ye g Office Manager MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION = fg 3 , aml 7 » \ . he ' a De THERE. § is IT. ApoLro 11 DID IT. Yal N Oh x! ™ RSS 110 Only yesterday A Case for Conservation Alene N. Case June is a good time to be busy growing things. It is a time to harvest hay, to pull weeds out of the potato patch, and to plant seeds for fall crops. It is also time to earn a little cash by selling lettuce on the sidewalk in town. When the editor of this newspa- per asked me to describe the daily life of the people of Lithuania, neither of us realized that I would return to recount the adventures of a nation intent on growing its own food. They truly have every available inch under cultivation. My husband and I took two weekend trips through the rural areas of Lithuania. We traveled by train and bus so that we could really observe the land and its people. Several things are impor- tant about the land. First, it is very flat. Second, the soil is mostly sand and siltleft by glaciers. These two qualities make it especially easy to cultivate—either by hand or with the aid of a horse. Third, Lithuaniais relatively undamaged by the heavy industry that has marred so much of the other ex- Soviet countries. Therefore, when privatization came, the people had land to which they could return. And, it seems to me that many farmers must have maintained their customary ways even dur- ing the era of collective farms because they certainly have not forgotten how to grow things. Every house is surrounded by a garden. These contain not only the usual vegetables and flowers but also fruit trees, a greenhouse for tomatoes, and often a cow staked out nearby. There are larger fields for hay and rye. And, potatoes are planted everywhere! Men use scythes to cut hay and women bend over to pull weeds from the fields and gardens. Most transportation in these rural ar- eas is on foot. Bicycles are com- mon, as are horse-drawn wagons. Progress and hope are growing well in Lithuania Houses in towns and cities are also surrounded by as much gar- den as possible. And there are large community gardens or “garden colonies” outside the cit- ies for those people who live in apartments and have no space to garden. Of course, all: this cultivation can cause high nutrient inputs to streams and lakes. There are also concerns about high lead concen- trations in vegetables grown near roadways. But, those are issues that can be successfully ad- dressed. The two cities that we visited, Vilnius and Klaipeda, are also making progress. They are intent on rebuilding the old sections of town — partly as a tourist attrac- tion and partly as a reminder of pre-Soviet times. In Vilnius, one can tell which buildings are pri- vately owned because they are the ones being renovated and turned into shops and cafes. The city does not have the money to fix up the other buildings. Itisastrange mosaic. People in cities are not gener- ally wealthy, but they seem to be healthy. Children laugh nd play with their parents or grandpar- ents when they walk to the park in the evenings. Most women are well-dressed (men wear the usual boring, darker clothes) in a wide variety of styles. More people are able to afford cars now than when we visited two years ago. Many new homes are being built in the suburbs. A friend of ours says that if you have the money you can buy anything — that cer- tainly was not true two years ago when the only bread available in Vilnius was still baked in one state bakery. Everywhere you go there are flower shops and ordi- nary people seem to buy flowers frequently. Now that Lithuania has a stable democratic government, she can build on her strengths and elimi- nate some weaknesses. Encour- aging tourism would bring needed funds from more prosperous countries. There are marvelous things to see and do in this small country; museums of all kinds, beaches on the Baltic Sea, gor- geous churches, great food. But there are a few obstacles that stand in the way of true enjoy- ment by Westerners. One is the plumbing. When the only facili- ties in adowntown restaurantis a unisex hole in the floor, most Western visiters are not going to recommend Vilnius to their friends. Acutally, fixing the plumbing could also be healthy for the environment because many toilets run constantly, wasting huge amounts of water and put- ting undue burden on treatment facilities. Another obvious problem is the miles-long line of cars and trucks waiting to enter Lithuania at vari- ous border crossings. Imagine the Polish or German family who simply wants to swim in the clean water of the Baltic Sea and in- stead they spend two or three days in line waiting to get into the country. This is not an exaggera- tion. There has to be a better way to process people and goods so that black market trade can be curtailed and tourism encouraged. Legislation should be passed to eliminate the use of phosphate detergents (now non-phosphate detergents are almost impossible to find) and to phase in the use of unleaded gasoline as the older cars are replaced by newer ones. And children in school can be introduced to the concepts of ecology and a sustainable life- style. Several of our friends in Lithuania are convinced that environmental education is the best use of their talents and lim- ited resources. They are also working with farmers and gard- ners to promote methods which could reduce the use of manufac- tured fertilizers and prevent soil erosion. One thing I have learned since my first trip to Lithuania two summers ago: there are a lot of people in the Wyoming Valley who have parents or other ancestors who came here from there. To those who consider themselves Lithuanian [ want to say that you can be proud of the progress that this new democracy is making and hopeful that your homeland can avoid some of the severe prob- lems that could occur in such situations. Their strength is in the people, the land, and a strong sense of history. Library news Despite heat By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The 48th annual Back Moun- tain Memorial Library Auction is now history and as far as we can tell this early in the accounting, the goal of $40,000 net will be reached. A warm thank you to Joseph Kluger, general chairman, and to all the committees and volunteers who worked so hard to make the auction successful. We had hot weather, humid condi- tions, white moths and rain, as usual, but the loyal supporters stayed and weathered all the storms. The usual number of exciting bidding was on-going with great prices met on several items. The 3rd grade quilt, auctioned by Jim Eason, was sold for $950; and Jim bought Sue Hand's on- the-spot painted auction picture for $1375. A mountain bike sold for $150; two wood chairs with table, $175; the carousel horse from antiques, $600; and an apri- cot vase for $1345. The painting by Sue Hand will be shown in her window across from Dallas Hard- ware for a few weeks. My grandson, Gregory, was given $2 to spend at the auction by his friend, Jane. He bought a bucket of ping pong balls and landed one in the gold fish bowl and received a gold fish. He stood by the green jar in the library and seemed to be having trouble with his pants, as if they were twisted or something. He finally found the pocket with the other dollar in it and dropped it in the green jar because he saw other money in there. Thanks, Greg, that dollar will help the funds being collected for the library's air conditioning! A special book sale will be tak- ing place in the ‘dollar bag room’ in the basement for a while, be- ginning July 20. The books will be sold three bags for $1.00. There have been new books added since the auction and the variety seems to be interesting. The library auction refreshment booth is in need of some better refrigerators. If there is anyone who is buying a new refrigerator and has an older one that is still in and rain, auction Is success decent operating condition, we would appreciate it if you would consider calling us and donating it. New books at the library: “The Gift” by Danielle Steel is a story from the 1950's when life was simpler, people still’ believed in dreams, and family was, very nearly everything. The place is is a small midwestern town with a high school and a downtown, a skating pond and a movie house. On atree-lined street in the heart- land of America, an extraordinary setof events begin to unfold. What seems serendipitous is tinged with purpose. A stranger arrives. “What Men Say” by Jean Smith is a Loretta Lawson mystery and the cool-headed Loretta does what any brilliant, feminist-academic sleuth would do. She uses her keen mind, knowledge, and in- sight to unravel a gruesome murder and help a friend in need. A woman's decomposed body is found in the aging barn of Ox- ford's estate and she knows her friend's shock is genuine. Mary, why haven't you Written? Let the Back Mountain know what you think by writing a letter to the editor. Always include your name, address and a daytime phone number; we don't publish anonymous letters. Send letters to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas, PA 18612 60 Years Ago - July 27, 1934 | WATER LEAK CAUSES PROBLEMS IN BORO Following the false alarm from Franklin Street, officials of Henry M. Laing Fire Co. issued a warn- ing to motorists who block the highway and impede progress of the truck. A fire truck answering an alarm has absolute right-of- . ghiols) way over all traffic and law re- quires that autos pull to the curb and allow the truck to pass. After a serious leak had been discovered near College Miseri- cordia by Dallas-Shavertown Water Co. last week there was a temporary improvement, but on Wednesday The Post received a number of calls reporting that homes on Franklin Street, Mach- ell Avenue and Parrish Heights) were without any water service. Water company officials explained that a bolt on a booster pump at Hay's Corners had broken and the pump had been out of com- mission for a short time until repairs could be made 50 Years Ago - July 21, 1944 HARZDORF REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION With bond sales of $78,788. sl) ¢ almost 10 times its quota of $8,000 Dallas Women's Club wound up its most successful drive since the war started. Out of 252 bonds sold in the Back Mountain area, the largest percentage of sales was brought in by the 249 bonds sold to individuals. A former Dallas High School student, Tech Sgt. Otto W. “Duke” Harzdorf, 25, grandson of Mrs#) Paul Harzdorf, of Centermoreland, who reared him after the death of his mother, is reported missing fn action over Italy. You could get - Beef short ribs, 21¢ lb.; pork liver, 19¢ lb,.; cab- bage, 3¢1b.; Lifebuoy soap, 3 bars, 20¢; peaches, 2 lbs. 25¢. 40 Years Ago - July 23, 1954 COMMONWEALTH TELEPHONE EXPANDS Application was filed July 9 before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission by Common- wealth Telephone Co. to acquire Pennsylvania Community Tele- phone Co., ‘Col. H.H. Butler, Commonwealth vice presidentand general manager announced this week. Purchase of Pennsylvania Community Telephone Companyy (with approximately 15,000 sta- tions) will swell to 50,000 the number of subcribers served by Commonwealth. Itis anticipated that approval of the acquisition will be granted on or before Sep: tember 1. Some of the rarest autos in America are on display today and tomorrow during the Giants’ Despair Hill Climb and Brynfan Tyddyn Road Races. They are()) being shown on the new eight acre display grounds of Cresko Motors at Kingston. Giants’ De- spair Hill Climb starts today. Bryfan Tyddyn road races will fake place tomorrow. Now playing at Moonlite out- door Theatre, “All the Brothers were Valiant with Robert Taylor and Stewart Granger plus “Code Two” with Ralph Meeker. : 30 Years Ago - July 23, 1964 | AFTER HEART ATTACK, HONEYWELL DOING OK With the winning of the Golden Quill award Mrs. T.M.B. Hicks, associate editor of The Dallas Poat brings honor not only to Dallas and The Dallas Post but to the State of Pennsylvania. It was given to the winner of an editorial. - contest in which over 80,000 edi- P| torials from weekly newspaper editors all over the world were considered. The Golden Quill was presented July 16 to Mrs. Hicks at the annual dinner of the Inter- national Conference of Weekly Newspaper editors based at South- ern Illinois Unviersity. Russell Honeywell, Police Chief of Dallas Borough, was improving at Nesbitt Hospital this week, a according to his family, after ap- parently suffering a heart attack Friday night. A load of summer furniture, outdoor variety, for next year's Library Auction has alredy been received at The Dallas Post. 20 Years Ago - July 25, 1974 - TRAVEL AGENCY BILKS AREA TEACHERS Several teachers in the Bac Mountain area apparently have been bilked by a travel agency which advertised summer tours to Hawaii and Greece in the State Education Association's official publication. DAMA has been informed by DER that the plans submitted by developers of Fox Hollow, Dallas Township will not be approved _ because Dallas Township Super4e/ visors have failed to accept the Luzerne County Master Sewage Plan. i ca
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers