> * The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 7, 199 I'S John W. Johnson .~ Should this nation get back to a. manufacturing economy or should it continue to send better than 50 per cent of its youth to four-year colleges? Some back- ground.... ‘Children whose parents or grandparents lived through the Great Depression, or who felt the ripple effect of that cataclysmic ‘economic event, thought the be- all-to-end-all was getting an edu- cation, preferably a four-year col- lege degree. . (A side benefit from the par- ent’s point of view was that the young folks would also learn about “life” while at college, thus saving parents the embarrassment of telling them). So the children were trundled off to campuses around the coun- try: They studied and it wasn't long before a social stigma was attached to those parents who hadn't paid their dues”, or who remained “unpolished members of the great unwashed.” Persons without that hallowed sheepskin (ironic, that colloquialism) were regarded as still being down on the farm—even though not a few diploma holders couldn't then, and can’t today, hold a reasoned, succinctand/or coherent conver- sation. Gay earns paramedic certificate Dallas resident Jennifer Gay, a member of a class at Luzerne County Community College en- rolled in the Emergency Medical Services curriculum, recently completed the State Examination for Paramedic Certification. The examination held each fall at LCCC, is administered to stu- dents who have completed one year of clinical and classroom training in the Paramedic field. For more information about LCCC's Emergency Medical Serv- ices program, or the State Exami- nation for Paramedic Certifica- tion, call James Johnson at 829- 7471. Spinoza or sprockets At the same time, FDR's cure for the Great Depression—make- government-a-major-player in the marketplace—played into the hand of those who competency was chiefly in analytical thought on one extreme, or in pushing paperwork around on the other. In short, the general four-year college graduate was an ideal candidate for government employ- ment in bureaucracies with evolv- ing mandates, budgets and re- sponsibilities. And there's no small connection between the mounds of paperwork we face from government today and the people who don't know how to do any- thing, giving that paperwork to us. Many others, in four-year pro- grams were there to prepare them- selves to be teachers, perpetuat- ing the four-year degree mythol- ogy. till, later the ridiculous be- came the sublime ad colleges began turning out ‘socially aware’ individuals who were then tailor made for their role in now heavy- handed government. This reached a peak in the 1960's and, thankfully, has been on the decline since. However, there is still a push for that magi- caldegreee, still that social stigma for those who don’t have one. This has been to the detriment of actual productivity and doesn't recognize that competence is more than piece of paper. It has also effectively robbed at least two generations of Americans of the ability to obtain vocational skills as parental and social emphasis was placed elsewhere, even if student desire was present. I don't know the numbers, but it's likely there are more college graduates now employed by gov- ernment than by private indus- try. The problem with that in our system is that government can- not and should not be productive; it should manage and should do so efficiently and for the common good. With more and more govern- ment, and fewer and fewer people actually producing goods, we are now faced with rapidly declining productivity just at a time when the rest of the world is increasing productivity. The issue is not as clear cut as comparing the ability to manipu- late paperwork efficiently to, i.e., the ability to dig coal. Other fac- tors such as labor unions increas- ing worker complacency also fig- ure into the declining productiv- ity mix. And I would be the last to deny the mind-expanding benefits of a quality liberal arts education. But four years of college for more than 50 per cent of our students? It's becoming clear there is a need for more coal miners and fewer graduate students. If we are to regain productivity, if we are to reindustrialize, we need to reintroduce the notion that get- ting one’s hands dirty or sweating is not the commission of a social sin. What we do not need are more persons with college degrees driv- ing taxi cabs...just as we never needed the obtaining of a college degree as the sole, or even pri- mary, meaure of a person's com- petency or worth. a 4 ——— rp POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Bad news for bad guys fra Showing off Kingston Township's new police cruiser are township manager Jeff Box, supervisor +! Shirley Moyer, police chief James Balavage and supervisor William Tippett. The 1994 Chevrolet. + Caprice cruiser has a flourescent orange side stripe enhancing its aerodynamic styling and a rede-. =: signed logo, both devised by Box, Balavage and patrolman Charles Rauschkolb. 5 It also has dual air bags, state-of-the art police communications equipment and a special light bar =~: containing rear amber lights which can be used to help direct traffic. Newcomers elect officers The Newcomers Club of Wyoming Valley, a social club of residents new to the Wyoming Valley as well as lifelong natives, recently held their installation of new officers for the 1994-95 season at Damien’s at Harveys Lake. New officers are first vice president Kay Steinmetz, second vice- president Ellen Meyers, president Dee Fields, secretary Paula Glicini and treasurer Sharon Weaver. Library news Cupcake Dolls and Ponies on display = 3 By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library is showing a collection of Cupcake Dolls and Ponies in the display case borrowed from Jessie Cappellini-Boyle; which is appro- priately called: “Children’s De- light”. Jessie is in the first grade at Lake Noxen School. All of the cupcake items were gifts and the ponies have come from yard sales. The most recent addition to her collection are the miniature po- nies which are adorable; however, as you can see, when you look at them in the display case, they are a bit sneaky as they are eating party cake from the refrigerator. The wooden pony is very special. It is hand carved by a farmer in the Alps in Switzerland. Black Beauty, a beautiful black horse, is standing on the far end of the display with a brown horse, which is a candle, lying down. Included with the dolls are an oven, stove, house, make-up sinks and cupboards. There are some very small ponies scattered * through the display. The predominate color in the display is pink with purple, yel- low, aqua and green which makes it very colorful. A refreshing dis- play to enjoy as school begins for another year. They will be here until September 28. The September Spectacular scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24 from 11 till all items are sold scheduled to be held in the an- tiques room will be chaired by Ernest Ashbridge. In addition, we are offering space on the grounds for vendors to set up booths for $25 a space. Suggested items to sell are crafts, flea market items, and farmer's market items. Set up space will be on a first come, first served basis. Mail your check to the library and ‘this will asstire you a space and becoine your res- ervation: Vendors must supply their own tables and setup boards. There will be food vendors with sandwiches and drinks. Books | ed 14 will be sold in the Irasement sii rooms from the $1 a bag room an the $1 a book room. This will conclude the auction season for 1994 at the library. ° ry 1) The library ‘green jar’ savings campaign has netted the library $80 which will be deposited as seed money for ‘Air Conditioning." The next campaign will be called ‘Help for Heat’ which is now set up in the foyer of the library. This will begin on Wednesday, Sept..7 and continue for a two month period. It is exciting to see the little chil dren dropping their pennies the jar and the adults their dollar bills. arial New book at the library: “The Body Farm” by Patricia Cornell begins with: Little Emily Steiner is dead. She left a North Carolina church meeting late one October afternoon heading for her homé two miles away. ‘Who met heron the path? Who followed her home, kidnapped her from her bedroom and left her body by the lake days later? 500 4 EEE pat WY,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers