‘4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, November 16, 1994 EEE The Dallas Post Let's move beyond fiscal responsibility It’s that time of year again, the season when local govern- ments release their preliminary budgets for the coming year. ‘Most Back Mountain towns won't seek tax increases, thanks to “continuing growth that will add to property and income tax revenues. In one case, Kingston Township, the property tax ‘was abolished last year and won't be resurrected for 1995. That's all to the good, and a tribute to governments that are generally efficient if not terribly forward-thinking. Still, a record of admirable fiscal control isn’t the only thing by which we should judge progress, so here are a few ideas that might make the Back Mountain an even more attractive place in which to live and work. BW Shared services. Small towns simply don't have the funds to ‘hire all the expertise they nieed for some tasks, or to purchase helpful equipment. Sharing both could make it possible for all Back Mountain communities to enjoy a high level of service. For example, Dallas Borough put its leaf vacuum into service this fall, sparing residents the bother of bagging leaves. This system also keeps hundreds of discarded plastic bags out of landfills. But the gadget is needed in the borough only a couple of days a week. A rental or sharing arrangement could be worked out with neighboring towns, as is already done with some road construction equipment. HB Regional planning. By state law, each township and borough must update its planning and zoning regulations at some regular interval. That means each town hires a planner, who works on matters only within the boundaries of his or her employer. Planners surely don’t ignore what's going on across the town line, but it would make more sense if a single firm de- veloped a cohesive plan for the entire region. HB A light industry/commercial park. Here's where regional planning could really pay off. The Back Mountain offers all the _ attractions sought by smaller companies; a motivated workforce, physical beauty, lack of congestion, good highway connec- tions, and adequate housing opportunities. But we don’t have a ready-made site available for them, while many other places do. The result will likely be more helter-skelter development, gobbling up land that could be used to bring better jobs than are found in strip malls. Planning now could assure that industrial development would take place where we want it, not where an individual developer can find the best bargain. HB A regional water authority. The present crazy quilt of private systems is a costly disgrace. A recent national news article said Scranton had the highest water rates of any city in the nation. ~ Guess what, some people in the Back Mountain pay even more and get substandard water and erratic service for their trouble. When the cost of water approaches the cost of heat, some- thing’s wrong. And that’s not to mention that no one’s paying much attention to the supply. The only logical solution is a regional water authority somewhat like the existing sewer authority. " That's a short list; others would add to it, and over time there certainly are other things that could be done. For now, we'd settle for a start. Publisher's notebook Our circulation computer crashed last week. Well, it didn’t exactly crash, but it started to act up. I long ago adopted a strict policy for such situations — the instant a computer does any- thing out of the ordinary, replace it. The new machine is a marvel, at least compared to the 10-year-old technology it took over from. A Comaq 486/66, it performs at blazing speed, which isn’t really necessary the way we use it. But that brings to mind another axiom that’s handy when dealing with any- thing electronic — if you can afford to, buy more capacity than you think you'll need, because before you know it, you'll need it. A remarkable catalog arrived in the mail last week. From Delta Press Ltd., it contained everything a paranoid criminal weapons nut could desire, such as manuals showing how to ‘convert a gun to fully automatic operation. Other items showed the true nature of the company’s ideal customer, things like a volume titled How to do Business Off the Books, or the charming ‘How to Lose Your Ex-Wife Financially Forever. Other publica- tions tell how to make bombs, lie, cheat and steal. And, for the reformed draft dodger, there are fake Vietnam i.d. cards. Of course, there were references to patriotism scattered through the catalog. I'm all in favor of protecting free speech, but I think it should be illegal to sell material that informs others how to break the law. Or do most Americans believe it’s okay as long asyou don’t get caught? As for patriotism, these radical wackos obviously are loyal only to themselves. 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: Ths 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. Wedonot publish anonymous letters, but will consider withhelding the name in exceptional circuinstances. 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 “DITOR AND PUBLISHER Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Grace R. Dove REPORTER Peggy Young ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Urbanas OFFICE MANAGER MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION AND PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER'S ASSOCIATION VOTED 3rd BEST SMALL WEEKLY IN THE U.S., 1993 PRINTED WITH SOY INK © ‘God bless American veterans’ Past commander Walter |. Galka, commander John Charney, adjutant Tom Reese, members of the Daddow-Issacs Post 672 of the American Legion, and Rev. John Kusick of Gate of Heaven Church join in prayers at the Veterans’ Day services at the Honor Roll at Dallas Corners. POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Letters Rusty Anderson inspired interest in the arts Editor: At a recent cultural event, we noticed that College Misericordia production manager Rusty An- derson has retired and moved to Putney, Vt. I had to write and let you know what a wonderful influence Mr. Anderson's productions have had on my family and countless oth- ers in the Back Mountain and beyond. Through Mr. Anderson's effects and the cultural events programs at College Misericordia, my chil- dren have been exposed to plays, concerts, ballet and countless other events. They feel these early experi- ences are partially responsible for their success in school and their continued interest in the arts. Mr. Anderson went well beyond the requirements of his job; seat- ing blind and visually-impaired people close to the stage, so they could hear better, allowing handi- capped students to visit dancers ‘and actors backstage before a performance, and constantly running to insure that each event surpassed the one before. For all memorable events, we thank College Misericordia, its cultrural events department and Rusty Anderson. Georgann C. Kostenbauder Tunkhannock Coaches must be accountable for behavior Editor: What role does sports play in a high school setting? What standards, if any, are coaches expected to adhere to if they represent ahigh school? Does winning abrogate civilized con- duct? = . Cana coach win and also instill sportsmanship in the young people under his jurisdiction? As a role model, would we like our young people to emulate the coach's conduct? The school system is a micro- - cosm of society at large. The barbarism and violence that is becoming more prevalent on the adult playing fields concerns me, and I certainly do not wish to condone them on a high school level. Victory at all costs carries with it an actual defeat - a defeat for civilized society. It then con- cludes that the means justify the ends, which is intolerable in a democratic society. It results in championship teams and pyrrhic victories. Should the sunnum bonum be transgressed and sub- jugated to the sole purpose of winning? Noone can convince me of that. The basic purpose of a school district is to impart knowl- edge and teach by example some basic virtues that contribute to a civilized society. Is a coach an extension of the classroom and thus subject to the same evaluative procedures as any teaching professional in our dis- trict, or is his demeanor exclu- sively his own purview? Ifa coach has a winning record, is he ab- solved from acting like a true member of a civilized society, or does winning negate seemingly incomprehensible barbaric con- duct that serves as a model for the athletes entrusted to his nurtur- ing? Who can challenge excesses of conduct if it is perceived that said conduct is detrimental to the overall educational climate of an educational community? Is a person above critique if sporting accolades abound or is said per- son privy to certain rights and privileges not accorded to regular staff members? Is said person still subject to reasonable school board policies? Checks and bal- ances exist in any organizational structure. What is the proper role of a member of a governing body? In our system of checks and balances, who proctors our coach's domains? Any reason- able request by a duly-elected school beard. member to attend practice sessions, team meetings and general demeanor should be welcomed as a positive, meaning- fulvisitation. Granted, if commu- nication were effective and the communication was respected and trusted, there would be less need for a direct visitation. If a person is secure in his methods, a non-threatening gesture of a visi- tation should be taken as a com- pliment. Attendant upon the rights es- tablished for each coach are cer- tain responsibilities, which in- clude respect for the rights of others, obedience to proper con- stituted school authority and compliance with the rules and regulations of a district. One of the major aims of the educational process is to have students develop and maintain acceptable standards of respon- sibility and to demonstrate the standards of good citizenship expected of members of our demo- cratic society. Students have the responsibility to become self-dis- ciplined and are expected to con- duct themselvs in keeping with their level of maturity, acting in due regard to all constituted au- thority. Students share with the administrator and faculty (coaches included) a responsibil- ity to develop a climate within the school that is conducive to whole- some learning and living. Unwillingness to fulfill the personal responsibilities and non- compliance with laws, rules, regu- lations and policies may result in forfeiture of the rights and privi- leges. Consideration for the rights and privileges of others, coopera- tion with all school personnel, and basic self-respect shall be guiding principals for the educa- tional process. High personal standards of courtesy, decency, clean language, honesty, morality and wholesome relationships with others should be maintained. All employees ofa district should share the respon- sibility of providing opportunities for students to become respon- sible and self-disciplined. Also, employees of the district share the responsibility for supervising the behavior of students and for seeing that they meet the estab- lished standards of conduct. The school district can hold discipline to mean a process by which pupils learn and exercise self-control. An important goal of the educational program is self- discipline for all pupils where pupil behavior shall reflect the stan- dards of good citizenship expected of members of a democratic soci- ety. All students and employees are expected to cooperate in provid- ing a wholesome learning and school atmosphere. Reasonable rules of conduct are established as necessary for this purpose. Students who violate rules and regulations of student conduct are subject to disciplinary action. Corrective discipline is concerned with those actions taken after the occurence ofan offense and should be designed to prevent or deter the re-occurence of the offense. The procedures for the use of corrective discipline shall be the responsiblity of the building prin- cipal operating within the policies and regulations of the board. Teachers as well as coaches are responsible for helping students to maintain proper decorum. Clarence J. Michael Dallas Editor’s note: Clarence Michael serves on the Dallas School board. Federal Officials Congress Representative Paul E. Kanjorski (Democrat) Telephone Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200 Washington: (202) 225-6511 Address: 10 East South Street, Wilkes-Barre PA 18701-2397 or 2429 Rayburn Building, Washington, DC 20515 Senator Arlen Specter (Republican) Telephone Wilkes-Barre: 826-6265 Washington: (202) 224-4254 Address: 116 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 Senator Harris Wofford (Democrat) Telephone Scranton: 347-2341 Washington: (202) 224-6324 Address: 116 North Washington Avenue, Suite 3K, Scranton PA 18503: State Officials State Senator Charles D. Lemmond (Republican) Telephone: (717) 288-3925 or 287-0475 Address: 701 West Market Street, Kingston PA 18704-3496 Lemmond's district includes the Back Mountain. State Representative George Hasay (Republican) Telephone: 287-7505 or 542-7345 or 474-2276 or 477-3752 Address: 369 South Mountain Boulevard, Mountaintop PA 18707 Hasay's district encompasses: Harveys Lake, Lehman Township, Jackson Township, Lake Town- ship, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dallas Township's north voting district. State Representative Phyllis Mundy (Democrat) Telephone: 283-9622 or 655-3375 Address: Suite 107, 400 Third Avenue, Kingston PA 18704 Mundy's district encompasses: Dallas Borough, Dallas Township except for the north voting dis- trict, and Kingston Township. Only yesterda y 60 Years Ago - Nov. 23, 1934 THREE AREA ROADS ARE IN BAD SHAPE Borough councilmen at-.their meeting Tuesday instructed Sec- retary William Niemeyer to notify Luzerne County Commissioners that Huntsville Road, started as a country CWA project and never completed, is in dangerous condi- tion and to notify James Gold, superintendent of State Highway Department, that parts of Main and Church Streets maintained by state are in bad condition. Huntsville Boy Scouts will put on a drive to collect clothing of all kind and old toys for the: poor children. The Boy Scouts in their spare time will fix all broken toys so they can give them to the poor children on Christmas. : Lehman High School and King- ston Township High School will meet on the Kingston Township field on Thanksgiving morning to decide the football championship of the Back Mountain Section.’ 50 Years Ago - Nov. 17, 1944 4 SGT. GENSEL IS LISTED MISSING IN ACTION First evidence that Dallas Ki- wanis Club's campaign to obtain evening and Sunday mail pickup at Trucksville, Shavertown and Dallas Post Offices is bearing fruit it was revealed this week when postmasters at these offices re- ceived instructions from the Post Office Dept. to make a survey and report of all mail posted at the local offices after closing hours. S/Sgt. William Gensel, radio operator on a B-24 Bomber of the 15th Air Force, stationed in Italy, has been missing in action over Austria since Oct. 16, according to information received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gensel of Jackson Township from his wife in Chicago. Now playing at Shaver Theatre, “Double Indemnity” starring Bar- bara Stanwyck and Fred MacMur- ray. 40 Years Ago - Nov. 19, 1954 FIRE DESTROYS 20- ROOM BAICHER HOME | Dallas-Franklin Township schools got the green light for erection of a four classroom and shop addition to the present High School building Tuesday, accord- ing to Ray Kuhnert, supervising principal. - If no complications develop, Kuhnert hopes ground can be broken in March, with expectation the addition will be ready for use in September. - - A $35,000 fire early Wednes- day morning destroyed the pala- tial 20 room home of Harry -S. Baicher at Harveys lake. Built about 1910 by the parents of Senator T. N. Wood, and occupied by him and his family until 1948 when it was sold to Baicher. The property was one of the .show places at Harveys Lake. You could get - Fryers, 39¢ Ib.; ribroast, 59¢ 1b.; cranberry sauce, 2 Ig. cans, 37¢; Nabisco Sugar Honey Grahams, 1 lb. pkg., 33¢; Cut-Rite Wax Paper, 2-125 ft. rools 47¢. 30 Years Ago - Nov. 19, oor # LEHMAN TO GET BLINKER LIGHTS Lehman will get its blinker traffic lights for protection of school children crossing the high- way, said supervisor Michael Godek, discussing the matter Tuesday at Lake-Lehman School Board meeting. Blinker lights will carry with it during times of school arrival and dismissal a 15 mph speed limit, causing cars to crawl through Lehman Center where they have been accustomed to take it at 50 miles plus. The deplorable condition of Pioneer Avenue, with its broken and knotted berms was brought to the attention of Kingston Town- ship supervisors by Dr. Walter Mokychic, who resides alongside the well-traveled state road. His complaint is shared by many who must travel the area daily and wonder why better care is ‘not given. Wyoming Redskins ended the “reign of Dallas Mountaineers. as two year champions of the West Side Conference last Saturday by upsetting the titlist 6-0 before more than 2500 fans at the Dallas field. ‘ 20 Years Ago - Nov. 21, 1974 DALLAS CAFETERIA OPERATING IN RED A motion to purchase sneakers for members of Lake-Lehman girls” and boys' varsity basketball team was defeated by a vote of 7- 2 following considerable discus- sion at the district's school board meeting Nov. 12. The bid to buy sneakers for the basketball squads was rejected after several board members expressed concern that the measure would set a prece- dent and necessitate the purchase of footwear for all school spon- sored activities including the band. A |e : i & ’ 5 Bb %
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers