IX ) N RJ < » The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 26, 1994 5 Reporter's notepgok Okay, ghouls and guys. It's Halloween, the season when adults punish their kids for the same stuff that they did when they were young. Fortunately for the human race, I don’t have any children, but I can’ put some very amusing thoughts into your little ones’ sweet heads... Keep in mind that I grew up in central New Jersey, not too far from the Great Swamp near Mor- ristown, home of the infamous Jersey Devil, whose main diet consisted of Girl Scouts who wandered away from their camp- sites dt night. o Mischief Night. Remember Oct. 30, Mischief Night, the night before Hallow- een, the time to play hilarious tricks on the neighbors? Back in the dinosaur age when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's, when most TV sets had 13" black'and white screens and video games-hadn't been invented yet, I was a Good Little Girl and didn't go out on Mischief Night unless it was my turn to walk the dog. At least, that's what my par- ents thought, Once or twice I indulged in the popular pre-Halloween sport of ringing doorbells and running away, (Hey, this is real racy stuff) but learned my lesson when I rang Mrs. Romaine's back door- belland fell over a couple of stakes holding up a small tree in her back yard. * ET call home, As I became more worldly and wisey,-in about ninth grade, I Harrowing Halloweens learned how to make a fake UFO from an article in our local daily paper. This was in 1964, when central New Jersey was the scene ofa huge UFO flap and we thought - thatevery appearance of Venus in the nighttime sky was a flying saucer, as they were then called. Having a top-secret nuclear missile installation at nearby Hadley Airport and a not so top- secret Nike missile base several miles north of us on the Watchung Military Reservation only added to the paranoia. A rumor widely circulating around our high school that year said that the UFO's were coming to kidnap all of the 14-year-olds. I was 14 and ready for them. Boy, was | ready! My best friend, Nancy and I decided to field-test the informa- tion in the “how to make a fake UFO" article, which we had seen in the Courier-News around Hal- loween time. We stealthily obtained the necessary supplies and arranged to sneak out and meet in a field behind my house under the pre- text of walking our dogs, whodidn't get along with each other at all. After assembling the UFO (I can only divulge that it was simi- lar in construction to a hot air balloon and involved a clear plas- tic dry cleaner's bag and a wire coat hanger) and igniting the Top Secret Substance to make it light up and become airborne, we launched it. Blazing merrily away, our fake UFO rose majestically a good four feet into the air and crash-landed in the dry weeds. Nancy and had todo some fast footwork to stomp it out before the entire field caught fire, Now that my Dad, a faithful Dallas Post reader in Florida, has seen my misdeeds in black and white, I think I'm dead meat. Unless he already knew about it. We don't call him “Eagle Eye" for nothing, * Things that go bump in the night. When I lived in Trucksville about 20 years ago, the kids loved to go out on Mischief Night with homemade devices which made an indescribable noise when set off against a window. To make one, you simply carved notches in the edges of an empty wooden spool of thread, then wound it up in a rubber band. When you set it against a glass - window and let it go, it made the most startling noise imaginable. e A creepy family legend. My weird cousin, Lois Ann, loved telling strange stories, which she thought were hilarious and we hated. This is her favorite. Imagine hearing it from a squeaky-voiced ten-year-old with a stuffy nose. A local inn had a room where nobody would stay. Everyone who rented it usually left rather quickly. After a new owner bought the place, he decided to find out why. The first night he stayed in the room, he was awakened at mid- night by an eerie voice calling, “I am da viper. I am da viper.” Scared out of his socks, the innkeeper fled. The second night, the innkeeper returned to the haunted room with the standard Ghostproofing Arse- nal: a strong flashlight, holy wa- ter, garlic, a gun with a silver bullet, a crucifix and a shotgun. Sure enough, just before mid- night came the eerie voice: “I am da viper. I am da viper.” Still scared, the innkeeper fol- lowed the voice through the room and into the hall, as it continued its eerie chant, “lam daviper.lam da viper.” Finally he cornered the voice on the stairway and shined his flashlight where it seemed to be coming from. In the beam stood a withered old man carrying a spray bottle of Windex and a roll of paper towels. “Hallo,” the old man smiled. “I am da viper. Do you vant your vindows viped?” Happy Halloween! Library news Enjoy fresh citrus while aiding the library By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Friends of the Library are sponsoring the third annual fresh citrus $ale for the Back Mountain Memorial Library. Orders will be taken now for delivery on Decem- ber’ 4 and 5. This year's crop of fruit promises to be the best yet— we can guarantee quality! Two fifths ofabushel of ruby red grape- fruit (16-24 count) for $10 and 2/ 5 bushel of naval oranges (32-48 count) for $10. Orders must be prepaid by November 14. Order forms will be available at the li- brary. Checks may be made payable to the Back Mountain Memorial Library and received with the order. The Citrus Sale has proven to be a popular fun- draiser for the library. The library began selling cur- rent magazines, in good condi- tion, a few years back and the project has been going well. Pa- trons bring their magazines as they finish with them and we add them to our sale table. The maga- " zines sell for 10¢ each. The maga- zine sale has brought a profit of $78.27 to the library during the first nine months of 1994. Aver- age monthly sales amount to $7. June sales were $12; July $8 and August $14. This has become another way patrons share their magazine with others and the library benefits with the proceeds. New books at the library: “Motherless Daughters” by Hope Edelman is the story of the legacy of loss. For any woman who has lost her mother and who has looked for comfort and under- standing, here at last is a brave and powrful book of experience and insight. Any woman whose mother has died will tell you that her life is irrevocably altered; that this one fact forever changes who she is and who she will be. Gone is the caregiver, teacher, adver- sary, role model and guide tobeing a woman. Often, whole parts of the mother’s role transfer to the daughter; grieving can be cut short, cut off, or dismissed in order to “Keep the family going”. A daughter's relationship with her father and siblings changes and losses can be overwhelming. “The Maltese Angel” by Cather- ine Cookson is an immensely pow- erful and enthralling novel which spans more than three decades, from the 1880s through World War I and beyond, as it tells the story of a young man's fateful decision and enduring influence ithas on future generations. Ward Gibson's heart and mind were in turmoil as he rode home from Newcastle, across the Tyne, to the prosperous Durham farm he had just inherited from his father. In terms of property he was already his wown assured man, though still only in his twenties. But what about marriage? He knew what was expected of him by the village folk, and especially by the Mason family, whose daughter, Daisy, he had known all his life. He then meets a dancer. Use the coupon on page 2 to subscribe SIERRA CLUB ENDORSES PHYLLIS MUNDY “A safe environment for your family and all the Protecting these things requires that we win a constant stream of lar ge and small battles - many of them fought in the Pennsylvania General Assembly where the laws that prevent - or permit - environmental degradation are “In 1990 and 1992 the Sierra Club endorsed Phyllis Mundy because we “believed that she would support a clean environment for the citizens of ‘Pennsylvania and the 120th District. She has done exactly that. That's why the Sierra Club supports Rep. Phyllis Mundy's 1994 reelection effort ‘and hopes that you'll return this pro-environment legislator to of fice. Clean air. Clean water. ‘other living things on the planet. ® ‘made. L3 Harrisburg. Remember: To keep Rep. Mundy in office, you have to vote for her -on Election Day, November 8, 1994. Clean air. Clean water. Keep Phyllis Mundy as your representative in —_— == = Pp = ie) Sierra Club As Iwas saying How many remember Scripto mechanical pencils? They were around before Hector was a pup, which is an old expression keep- ing me from naming a year. Just take my word for it - Scriptos have been an important part of Ameri- can life for a very long time. Originally one pencil cost only 29¢. It held a 4" lead. There was “a neat grey eraser that worked. A shiny metal band held a clip for fastening the pencil to your shirt pocket, and young fingers always got a good grip on that octagonal shape. Finally, a simple twist advanced the lead and you were good for 22,000 words before a refill, or so their ads said. (They also said: “Keen students use Scripto pencils and never miss a point!” Today you'll pay $1.44 for the saine pencil, this time on card blister-packed with six 1.1 mm leads. I mention the lead diame- ter because there are now three The Scripto mechanical pencil, and U.S. industry sizes to confuse buyers: 0.5 mm, 1.7 mm, and the far sturdier 1.1 mm Scriptos use. You'll also confront a bewilder- ing variety of competitive brands, like these: “Quicker Clicker,” a see-thru version with 0.5 lead costing $2.97, but you can also get a three-pack economy model for the same $2.97; Pentel's “Starter Set” is for the “first-time” user and costs $1.17; Pentel will also sell you a five-pack for $2.97 (there's that price again) and claim theirs are “healthier for the envi- ronment;” finally, the popular $2.97 will buy you an “Executive Style Zebra" in impressive chrome and black steel. Most of these are made in Japan. Some, like Scrip- tos, are assembled in Mexico from U.S. and Japanese parts. There are others of course, too many to list, except for the ingen- lous “Sensematic - The World's First Hasslefree Pencil. No Click- ing! No Twisting! No Jamming! Senses when more lead is needed and advances just the right amount.” Two of these will cost you only 78¢ and they have only one problem...they don't work! Here is a delightfully nostalgic reminder for long-ago Scripto fans, a quote from one of their pre-war ads, which undoubtedly appeared — in Colliers and the Saturday Eve- ning Post magazines: “Scripto is no ‘flight of fancy’. says Elizabeth Zymeck, Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant. You'll find the ceiling unlimited on Scripto performance. So natu- rally, tendants to use Scriptos in their work. Like EAL, they have a great record of dependability.” * Now - no pun intended - time for the point. EddieR. isn’t around anymore and EAL itself has fallen on its financial sword. (Even ex- astronaut and super manager Frank Borman couldn't save it.) And good old 100% American Scripto is no more either, having moved its headquarters to Cali- fornia from Atlanta and changing its name. Scripto is now called “Scripto-TOKAL" A red Rising Sun logo dominates its stationery and product packaging, and, oh yes, they aren't called pencils now. They're “writing instruments” and Scripto-Tokal claims their new graphics convey an “upscale high- tech image.” Yeah, sure, but I'll bet the company cafeteria serves saki. All I can say is, “Whither goest thou, America?” Letters Seeks witnesses to Shavertown accident Editor: Would anyone who was stopped behind a red Chevrolet Sprint, at the stop sign at the intersection of West Center Street and Pioneer Ave., Shavertown, on the after- noon of Saturday, October 1, between 2:15-2:20 p.m., please call me. I need a witness or witnesses to confirm that I was at a complete stop on West Center Street, prior to the accident on Pioneer Ave, I need your assistance. Please | contact me as soon as possible, at 696-4415. Gladys H. Wood Shavertown | ONThe leaves are falling, and so are Ochman's prices! Sunday |Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday Friday [Saturday] Mon., Tues., Wed., Oct. 30 31 Nov. 1 2 3 4 5 Sat. 10-6; Pendants Earrings |Engagement | Anniversary Tennis Thurs, 10-8:30 « Fri. 10-7 : Bracelets Next fo CVS 30% aff Diamond Jewelry Week (formerly Rea & Derick) 18 Church St, Dallas Ochman COINS & JEWELRY 18 Church Street Dallas, Pennsylvania a — bd | VISA di 3 ead 3 At Huge selection of Insulated - Waterproof GORETEX - Thinsulate Boots. footwear Timberland All insulated/ ? waterproof Timberland in stock. Includes GORE-TEX boots. nsulated Steel Toe Logger” While supplies prs = last. 2 *Available at Plains, Mt. Pocono, Dickson City and Matamoras Locations Largest Selection of Hiking Boots in Northeast Pennsylvania & GE § nbeand® SNEAKER KING ROYAL VALUES FROM HEAD TO TOE. E2714 COUNTRY CLUB SHOPPING CTR, DALLAS MUNDY ST., W-B © MAIN ST., PLAINS AND 6 OTHER LOCATIONS! Captain Rickenbacker, president and general manager, has instructed Eastern flight at-- SE SSS
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers