4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, August 24, 1994 ¥ As school begins, let's raise education's stock Elementary and high school students will return to the classrooms in a week, as America’s annual late summer ritual takes place. Local schools are starting earlier than in the past, in part to reserve more potential snow days should the coming winter be as harsh as the last. Other than that, not a whole lot is changing, which is good or bad de- pending on your point of view. According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Prog- ress report, our nation’s students have made little movement toward improved performance. While math and science prowess has risen to match or slightly exceed 1973 levels, reading and writing skills are stagnant. Even the gains in math are minimal, said Mark Musick, president of the Southern Regional Education Board. “While the trend is up in science and math — which is heartening — ‘up’ doesn't seem to be very high,” he is quoted in a New York Times article. “Virtually all 13 and 17-year-olds can read, write, add, subtract and count their change. But as one moves up the scale toward slightly more complicated tasks, student success falls off rapidly.” The report's findings illustrate the point: * Less than 10 percent of 17-year-olds can do “rigorous” academic work in basic subjects. * Only 2 percent of 11th-graders write well enough to meet national goals set after 1983's “A Nation at Risk” report. Perhaps the results aren't surprising when you consider that since 1971, the report found the number of books, magazines, encyclope- dias and newspapers in the average home has declined by 10 percent. Houses with none, one or only two of the four types of material increased from 28 to 37 percent of all homes in which 9-year-old children live. More to the point, Secretary of Education Richard Riley lamented that in many areas, “It is the kid who is working hard and excelling in school who is not part of the crowd,” and is instead ostracized and belittled. Children often taunt high achievers because they envy their targets’ proficiency; but there is no excuse for adults who try to quash emerging intellect or ability. In the Back Mountain, let's begin the school year on this note — no matter what our differences over tax rates, teacher salaries or curriculum, we all adopt the goal to help and encourage each child to become well-educated, so that he or she may have every opportu- nity to enjoy a challenging, fulfilling life. By doing that, we'll assure that future generations not match — but exceed — their parents’ skill levels, and pass on a commitment to education and excellence that Wil susisin them and their children in an increasingly competitive world. V7 '%; ~N ER J FER \ NR AN : 3 SAN TAS a: ERR ALS CONN : Z Bl Publisher's notebook We receive several newspapers from other parts of the nation at the office, and I'm an inveterate reader of local papers when traveling. Among other things, it's interesting to check real estate values from place to place, and I've lately been startled by the comparison of ours to other areas. Ten years ago, home prices here were 30 to 50 percent below those in Southern New England, as the economy there was on fire and demand drove the cost of even the most basic house over $100,000 by 1985. But what comes up must come down, and prices have either stabilized or declined since 1989. Meanwhile, prices have risen enough here to essentially catch up with New England. That doesn’t make sense to me, since incomes there are atleast 25 percent higher than in northeastern Pennsylvania. A paper from Dover, Delaware offers another example. Dover is the state capital, and Delaware is a relatively prosperous state, but home prices in the Dover Postappear to be 20 percent or more lower than here. The same is true of the Midwest and much of the South, even North Carolina, which has the lowest statewide unemployment rate in the nation. I don't understand it. : (LX J Last week's heavy rains reinforced the point that each year it takes less rainfall to push streams out of their banks. The reason is quite - obvious; as pavement replaces grass and dirt, more water runs into brooks and rivers instead of soaking into the ground. Needlessly cutting down trees adds to the problem, since trees can soak up large amounts of water from the ground. The solution may not be to halt paving, but more judicious use of it surely would help. Ultimately, we must create ponds or wetland areas to absorb rainwater runoff if we don’t want it rampaging over our land and highways. The big risk, of course, is river flooding. It's clear that it won't take another Agnes- type storm to push the Susquehanna over the dikes that protect the valley. Raising them isn't the final solution either, as long as we don't address the core issue of increasing runoff. seo EDITOR'S APOLOGY. Due to an error in paste up, Alene Case's column last week appeared with the photo and heading for J. W.J. Several weeks ago, we changed our layout for coumnists, replacing a conventional headline and byline with a more artful setup. We've learned that carries hazards, one of which is selecting the wrong heading. My apologies to the readers and both authors. We'll try to see that it doesn't happen again. Do you agree? Disagree? Editorials are the opihion 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 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Peggy Young ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Grace R. Dove REPORTER Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Urbanas OFFICE MANAGER j [PRINTED WITH SOV INK| MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION VOTED 3rd BEST SMALL WEEKLY IN THE U.S., 1993 or ila | Jack Hilsher | WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE....If President Clinton's budget cutters would accept a suggestion, I can point them to a sizeable savings cut by just doing nothing...except stop producing films. Over the years various governmental bureaus and agen- cies have produced over 100,000 films, all paid for by you, me and our unsuspecting neighbors. TV GUIDE has commented “Government film-making, to put it simply, is a colossus. It costs hundreds of millions. Several years ago Leonard Maltin's “TV Movies & Video Guide” listed 19,000 titles. Read some and grit your teeth: “Hacksaws, Part III;” “Fuel Pump Disassembly;” “Mop- ping, the Bucket Method.” I have a title to add, but it ain't a training film: “Oh, What Fools We Taxpayers Be!” JAZZ ON THE AIRWAVES - Those who miss Swing Street Jazz on WVIA should try to pick up Bits and pieces Temple University’s Public Radio program “JAZZ FM" any week night from six on, and sometimes earlier in the day. Tune your FM receiver to one of these WRTY settings: 91.1 Mount Pocono, 94.5 Wilkes-Barre or 105.9 Scranton. 94.5 is probably your best bet, although the others come in fine on car radios. A wide range of jazz is pre- sented nightly and almost con- stantly, both classic jazz and modern mainstream. There is very litle chatter, although you'll have to get used to them bragging about “Phildadelphia’s Own” but that's a small price to pay for getting the Swing Street gap filled. e000 SEND NO MONEY NOW - “You will be billed in equal monthly installments.” “Crafted in fine porcelain, crystal and 24-karat gold.” “Perfect works of art.” “Unique - available for the first time.” “Complete.” “Valuable heir- looms.” Ever wonder about those ads? Well they do read like crazy, and I never see one but what I think of the poor guy I knew who, with his wife, bought set after set over a period of years. They must have every single one advertised, com- plete with the “Handcrafted Hard- wood Shelf!” Well, the couple eventually came to Splitsville (as we used to say in the good old days) and when the property came to being divided, she took the furniture and he took the heirloom collec- tion. He really thought he got the bettter deal, until he tried to peddle them in a series of fancy gift shops, and was laughed out the door of each one! Moral of this story: “Caveat Emptor!” Free translation: “Youse buyers better watch out!” ooo BEYOND THE STARS - Might be a sci-fi title, but NOT! It is found on the cover of a recent book by David William Ross about the West, when it was truly the West, populated by Native Ameri- cans. That's all you really need to know, except for this sample of the kind of writing that, unfortu- nately, isn’t fashionable anymore: “Sometimes in winter the sky would break scarlet and blue at dawn with the air as clear as gin, but the wind rose sharp and steady, and the temperature would plummet down, ever downward, mocking a sun that could only light up the snow mantle to a brightness that stunned the eyes but brought no more heat that the blue-tinged moon that mounted in its turn in the sky. Sometimes the wind would briefly lowerand a quietude that said the land was dead as far as every horizon troub- led the mind, and it was hard to believe that life still hung on under the snow, waiting.” OK. Nowyou can take abreath. Guest column Better care of dying is important issue By SISTER SIENA FINLEY, RSM Executive Director The Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania The controversy over Dr. Kevorkian's endorsement of phy- sician assisted suicide continues. Arguments, pro and con, persist and intensify, each reflecting sig- nificant concerns of large seg- ments of our society. To begin with, the debate on death and dying issues is rela- tively new. In the past, people became ill and were treated with as much medical expertise as was available. They died when there was no longer means to treat or cure their illnesses. The scenario is different today. Advances in technology have made it possible for individuals to be cured of diseases that previously might have caused their death. Often they are given a new lease on life and a quality of life that, given the nature of their illnesses, was not possible in the past. In many instances people are living longer and healthier lives than ever before. But the very technology respon- sible for prolonging life and im- proving the quality of life is often used beyond benefit or useful- ness. Infact, technology hasbeen canonized: many health care pro- viders and recipients are con- vinced that if treatment is avail- able it must be used. Such a position has resulted in what is known as the “medical impera- tive.” As a consequence contin- ued treatment has not necessar- ily improved life: it has prolonged dying. In many cases people have received technology-sophisticated medical advancements which have proven to be burdensome and do nothing to improve a person's wellbeing. Having access to the newest and the best in health care tech- nology may indeed be attractive if one is ill. It may also blind and blur the ability of both providers and potential recipients to make decisions to use such advances thoughtfully and resourcefully. The confidence invested in ad- vances in medicine has become what some now call “the terror of limitlessness.” Indeed, the con- troversy surrounding physician assisted suicide is related to tech- nological advances in medicine as much, if not more, than in any other cause. But there is a bigger issue at stake here. It is the problem of how we care for our dying. Many argue if we addressed the manner of caring for the dying in our country, there would be less need and fewer demands for physician assisted suicide. Overtreatment, uncontrolled use of treatment and or technology, and poor pain management for dying patients are major factors supporting the need for physician assisted sui- cide. For example, the ability to keep people alive with sophisticated technology does not mean every- thing must or should be done to keep them alive. The availability of new treatments does not mean treatment should never be with- held or withdrawn. In many in- stances, patients would be relieved if their families and physicians assured them that treatment, es- pecially artificial life support sys- tems would not be used when they were no longer beneficial, allowing the patients to die. If concerns about unnecessary in- terventions, about a drawn out dying process, about overtreat- ment beyond what is reasonable were nullified, the demand for active euthanasia would diminish considerably. One of the best ways to assure patients that they will not be over- treated and their dying prolonged is to create an Advanced Directive or Living Will. Competent per- sons who execute an Advance Di- rective state their decisions about medical treatment which they want or do not want. Families and physicians must then honor the directives. Patients must be as- sured that their wishes will be respected, especially if they lose the capability to make decisions for themselves. Another major concern is the fear of suffering beyond what is tolerable and without proper pain medication and management. Individuals who have seen loved ones in such circumstances may regard physician assisted suicide as an opportunity to escape an agonizing death. Pain manage- ment must receive serious study and attention, especially since a 1986 report by the World Health Organization noted that 50 to 80 percent of patients failed to re- ceive appropriate pain treatment. The use of pain medication disturbs health providers for a variety of serious and warranted reasons. However, providing pain medication to relieve suffering is particularly proper when it is in the best interest of the patient. Acting in the best interest of the patient requires sensitivity on the part of providers, so that the de- sires of the patient will have prior- ity over other fears, no matter how justified these fears appear. If the arguments for physician assisted suicide were countered by more sensitive and compas- sionate care of the dying, honor- ing the wishes of patients, and appropriate use of pain medica- tion, such arguments would di- minish. However, compassionate care involves all of society, not just health care providers. We are all members of our society and have responsbilities to one another. It must become a priority for all of us to assure the ill, the fragile, the infirm, the feeble, the dying that we care for them and not see them as a burden, difficult as that final care-giving may be. The decision of physician as- sisted suicide is, then, a question for all of us. Before we agree to support Dr. Kevorkian, I suggest that we examine how we care for the dying, that we assess whether the frail and weak member of our society can count on the rest of us, and that we consider appro- priate use of technology. Unless and until we address these ques- tions, euthanasia will win, like it or not. Only yesterday . ety of events for young and old. 60 Yours Ago - Aug. 21, 100d 2 DALLAS TWP. GETS NEW VOTING DISTRICT The first response to the cur- rent movement to have the Dal- las /Tunkhannock highway recon- structed came this week when engineers from State Highway Department began a new survey of the section of the road between. Tunkhannock and Evans Falls to’ determine if a new route there would be advisable. : In response to the request of Fernbrook residents who were compelled to travel nearly one and a half miles to their polling place, Luzerne County Court granted their petition this week to split the South Election District of Dallas’ Township and fixed the bounda-- ries, polling place and officers of" the new district. The funeral of Ruth S. Waters, 34, postmaster of Dallas for a: number of years who died Aug." 28, was held yesterday afternoon.’ ™» : fe \ 50 Years Ago - Aug. 25, 1944 POSTMASTER SETS XMAS MAIL DEADLINES. Postmaster Joseph Polacky: announces this year the Christ, mas mailing period for Army and ; » Navy overseas forces is Sept. 15to: ~ Oct. 15. After Oct. 15, no gift parcel may be mailed to a soldier, without presentation of a written request from him. . James A. Martin, supervising principal of Kingston Township: Schools, has announced schools; willopen Sept. 5, and school buses - will start their routes at 9 a.m. that day. Beginning Wednesday the schedule will be the same as «0 last year. You could get - Pork butts, 35¢ lb.; cod fillets, 31¢ 1b.; limabeans, } 2 Ibs., 19¢; green peppers, 5¢ lb.; corn, doz,. 23¢. 4 40 Years Ago - Aug. 27, 1954 MAMA BEAR AND CUBS VISIT FERNBROOK A mother bear and her cub, have been keeping residents along: Overbrook Ave., from Pioneer Ave. ~@ to Huntsville interested this summer. On two successive’ mornings about 5 a.m. the Scure-"" men's were awakened by the ’ barking of their dog and found the © garbage can lid off, contents scat- v. f tered and bear tracks in the flower /* bed. Te) 1 The Executive Board of the Back, mountain Memorial Library at its recent meeting authorized in- - vestment of $2,880 from the “™ Auction receipts in U.S. Govern-* ment Defense Bonds. This brings = the total investment in Govern- 5 ment Bonds to $10,000. t With participants from a five state area taking part in the mo- tor boat races at Harveys Lake, spectators saw local boy Sher- wood Wilson race across the fin- y ish line to win the D Hydro Class. * Races were sponsored by Harveys a; Lake Boat Club and Gilbert's Landing Club of Scranton. », ¥ - 30 Years Ago - Aug. 27. 1964 FALL FAIR TO EXPAND ITS ATTRACTIONS Mrs. Mary R. Dale, new librar-. ian at the Back Mountain Memo- « rial Library, attended her first li- + brary board meeting and reported her observations of the library / since she took charge August 1.0 She stated the library is definitely * well established, its potential for + service much broader than I had © anticipated and possibilities for.” growth are extensive. - A complete intra-squad game featuring all 72 Dallas High School football candidates will be the star», attraction of “Meet the Team” night .! sponsored by the Dallas Area] Letterman's Booster Club, Sept. *, 55) WARES HAIRS Ld 3. Ww Business and commercial dis- plays at the Dallas Rotary Fall, Fair which created so much inter- est last year will be greatly ex- panded this year. The Fall Fair +, and Fashion Show will be held on =! Lehman Horse Show grounds Sept. 18 and 19. The Fair now ins, its 2nd year will offer a great vari- =! LS $G £3 % ¥ FA rs aE 20 Years Ago - Aug. 29, 1974 YOUNG APPOINTED TO - BOROUGH COUNCIL Dallas Borough Council once, again has a full complement of. councilmen. Ken Young, a; teacher, was unanimously ap-% proved by council at its meeting. At last month's meeting council's chose William Carroll, a profes-, sional engineer. The two appoint ments were necessitated by thes “2 resignation of Robert W. Brown, and Robert Parry. we Due to many complaints of’ vandalism and juveniles causing: disturbances after the 10 p.m.* curfew hour, Kingston Township, Police are warning parents that’ all youngsters under age of 18+ who are on township streets after. 10 p.m. will be locked up and held in accordance with a curfew ordi-=« (_ nance passed by supervisors last year. ~
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers