®t wd F PE i a a 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 11, 1995 The Dallas Post “A few items for our towns' to-do lists Back Mountain local governments have reorganized for the - new year, with officers and committee members taking their posts. Most of the faces are familiar, a few are new, but all are to be commended for directing their interest and knowledge to supporting their towns. No one gets rich by serving on a borough council or zoning board; to the contrary, if there's any pay at all it's quite modest and certainly not a big attraction. There are no doubt some who serve from self interest, but by and large the good of the community is high on officials’ priority list. Speaking of priorities, here are a few we hope are on every municipal official’s list of things to do in 1995: ® Closely review building and zoning regulations and vow to enforce them vigorously. That means physically inspecting each new structure or renovation to see that what is being built is what was permitted, and that proper construction methods are being followed. For some towns, this will mean adopting a formal building code, which often mirrors national codes. It’s shocking that all Back Mountain communities don't have solid building codes and consistent enforcement. ® If the town doesn’t have a building inspector, see if one can - be shared with others. The small expense will be well worth assuring the integrity of construction. ® Rigorously enforce sign regulations, removing the “tempo- rary” signs that are placed where they shouldn't be and are ~ then left too long. € Adopt and enforce requirements that new businesses provide adequate parking space for employees and customers. . The prime offender in this case is the shopping center at Route Ea i 415 and Machell Avenue in Dallas Borough, which has been unable to retain tenants mostly because it offers far too little parking. That situation shouldn't be allowed to occur again. Where appropriate, make every effort to preserve the attributes that have made the Back Mountain an attractive and ~ prosperous area; the natural beauty, abundance of open space and trees, and ease of movement. or In short, we urge local municipal officials to regard every ~ aspect of their towns as if it were the property next door to their own. And while we're at it, we urge residents to take a more active role in their communities, by attending meetings and making their desires known. It's our region — all of us who live and work here — and we must take responsibility for it. Publisher's notebook We frequently receive complaints of slow delivery of papers sent out of the area, particularly when they go beyond adjacent states. We want all our readers to know that we do what we can to assure timely delivery, and all subscriber copies are depos- ited at post offices at the same time. We package papers in the most economical manner required by USPS, which may not always be the fastest, but surely shouldn't slow things down to the degree some readers experience. The Post Office requires a minimum of six papers to make a “bundle, ' which goes to a particular postal area. The most exact sortaticn is individual carrier routes, which we provide for most local delivery. Next is by five-digit zip code, then three-digit region (187, for example, which takes in most of the Wilkes- Barre area), then sectional center and so on. We consistently make a separate bundle for even a few out-of-state regions, such as 320 and 335 in Florida, which we expect speeds delivery, although we're often told it doesn’t. The worst situ- ation is for a paper to go in the “Mixed States” bundle, which must be broken open and the various papers distributed separately. ; Fortunately, 95 percent of our subscriptions go to the local area and receive prompt delivery, usually Wednesday, and we and our readers are grateful for the excellent service local postal personnel provide. Once a paper goes outside the area, though, it appears to be another story, with delays of two weeks not unusual. Westerly movement seems to present a particular problem. The only additional step we could take would be to place each separate zip code’s papers into individual mailing sacks. On top of the much higher postal rates outside of the home county, this expense would force a significant price increase for out-of- area subscribers. Would it be worth an additional $5 to $10 a year? 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 do not publish anonymous letters, 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 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 Esa VOTED 3rd BEST SMALL WEEKLY IN THE U.S., 1993 Rn rnten——— AO 0 Remember this? Last winter's massive snowfall is still only a memory, at least for now. Books looks Er Now that the Republicans have taken over the country and we can look forward to a millenium of joy, peace and capital gains tax reductions, it's time to take a good, hard look at the G.O.P.'s Contract With America. While the Newts, Stroms and Jesses of the world have come up with a wide-ranging and sensible program, it leaves out some of the primary concerns of thinking Americans. The problem with the contract isitisn’t specific enough. You Republican honchos out there are welcome to append these items to your contract for only a mini- mal fee - no more than the price of several toilet seats or screwdriv- ers. GET OFF THE ROAD, YOU IDIOT CLAUSE: Under the new world order, anyone who drives for more than a half mile with his turn signal operating, or who cuts off someone more intelligent than himself (like me), will have his car confiscated, his license torn into dozens of pieces and set afire before his eyes and an allergy to gasoline surgically implanted. Any person who fails to use a turn signal will have the lever forcibly driven through his toe. Subsequent offenses will involve subsequent toes. Any imbecile who hogs the passing lane while cruising at precisely the speed of the great- grandmother-driven pickup truck beside him will be tied to the back ofhis vehicle and dragged through the streets, where the populace will be encouraged to laugh and A few additions to the GOP's contract point at him. e SOMEONE BLUDGEON THAT SHYSTER CLAUSE: Any attorney who asks the same ques- tion in the same trial more than twice will have his tongue removed and stapled to his ear. Any attorney who takes an unwinnable case just to squeeze some fees out of his unsuspecting fool of a client will be forced to explain himselfat length to Judge Wapner. Any lawyer who uses more than 250 words to express a thought that could have been expressed in two or fewer will be required to sit between an economist and an insurance salesmanon along bus trip. e GET A LIFE CLAUSE: Any American who whines for more than 15 minutes per day or who blames anyone else for his own troubles or who wants the govern- ment to help him out of problems he has caused himself will be forced to write on a blackboard 10,000 times “I am not being abused; lam simply being a baby.” Any American who watches more than two hours of television daily will be required to read Ted Kennedy's memoirs, “Half Naked Was I," in the original drunk. Anyone who uses the television as an impromptu babysitter will be | required to spend an hour in a locked room with Kennedy. The room shall be unventilated in order to infuse the atmosphere with the whiskey-reeking breath of the senator from Jack Daniels. e MORE LUCK THAN BRAINS CLAUSE: Any professional ath- lete earning more per game than the national budget of Zaire who demands his contract be renego- tiated in the middle because some other brainless malcontent is earning a nickel more will be forced to endure a discussion of eco- nomics by H. Ross Perot. If the athlete actually goes on strike, he will be required to picket outside the stadium or arena in the worst weather of the year, heating his hands by a fire in a big can and eating semi-cooked hot dogs. Any professional sports fran- chise owner who complains that he is losing money and then pays $5 million or more for a journey- man hack will be subject to hav- ing an emergency lobotomy with- out anesthetic. e PUNCH IN THE MOUTH CLAUSE: Anyone who shoots off his mouth about something he does not understand just to hear his own blowhard voice will have to discuss health care with Hil- lary Clinton. Anyone who shouts down someone else while shooting off said mouth will have to clean Madonna's bedroom. * LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN CLAUSE: Any politician who votes for a tax hike will have his per- sonal salary decreased by the same percentage he has approved. Any politician who is caught in a lie will'be required to transcribe the collected works of Harold Stassen. Any politician who runs for reelection after having done virtu- ally nothing except lie, cheat and steal will be required to serve a full shift as a bartender at a party for Ted Kennedy and Daniel Pat- rick Moynahan. Tough measures? You bet. But tough times demand tough men with tough ideas. You disagree? Tough beans. Ken Books is editor of The Abing- ton Journal in Clarks Summit, which alsois published by Bartsen Media, Inc., publisher of The Dal- las Post. Letters Some suggested Social Security solutions Editor: The new Congress promises to reduce the federal deficit and to balance the federal budget. I sug- gest that this can’t be done unless, somehow, the Social Security “swindle” can be resolved. Essentially, the “swindle” has developed and expanded over the years as succeeding waves of in- competent political “hacks” in- creasingly promised too much to too many. Begun in the Depres- sion years of the 1930's, the Pro- gram was instituted to provide a ‘minimum subsistence level of living” for industrial workers reach- ing a retirement age of 65. Soon it was expanded to cover spouses and dependents. Then disabled workers were factored in. Subse- quently, coverage was expanded to cover almost everyone and the optional lower retirement age was added with a cost of living benefit. Finally, Medicare was instituted to take care of senior citizens’ health problems. Today, Social Security has become a “monster” that prom- ises to bankrupt the Nation! Originally touted as an insur- ance program, the scheme was never that. Instead, it was simply a pyramid scheme—very similar to a 1920's swindle instituted by Charles Ponzi. In that fraud, an initial group of “investors” was paid extravagant “dividends” which were actually taken from a later group of “investors” who, in turn, were promised a similar “deal”. “Ponzie Scheme” inevitably collapses when the number of “old investors” even- tually outnumbers the group of “new investors” that can be found. Social Security was similarly based on the idea that early par- ticipants would pay into a fund that would support the then small group of current retirees—with the promise that future participants would, in their turn, be taxed to pay benefits when the former re- tired. As long as the number pay- ing in exceeds the number of re- cipients the swindle works. But now, unfortunately, as most knowl- edgeable analysts agree, the bitter end is in sight. Medicare is about to go broke and the “Old Age Sur- vivors Insurance Program” will be broke early in the next century. The new Congress, promising re- duced federal deficits and balanced federal budgets, must wrestle with the irresolvable. “You simply can't get there from here.” I suggest that the very magni- tude of the swindle is so stagger- Elderly patient needs a friend Editor: I am looking for a volunteer to visit or send cards to a nursing home patient, who is a former Mountainside Manor resident who has had a stroke. Interested persons may call 287-4235. Jeanne Shuella ing, that our politicians will be unable to come to grips with the problem. It is enormously worse than the savings and loan scandal (also induced by incompetitent political hacks.) : A number of possible “fixes” may be proposed. The simplest would be to boost the “retirement age” (the age when benelfits can first be drawn). If raised high enough, there will be no problem, because most potential “retirees” would be dead before they became eligible! Another, more complex (and pos- sibly more equitable) solution would involve splitting the present Social Security scheme into two parts:—(1) the welfare segment (which—Ilike Medicaid—will have to be financed by the taxpayers at large) and (2) the annuity/medi- care or insurance section which should be privately financed by today's workers and patterned after the IRA or Keogh retirement plans now in existence. Recently, Chile privatized its Social Security program. It has the soundest economy in Latin America. Maybe we should find out how il was done... Hugh P. King Dallas It's easy to subscribe. Use the handy coupon on page 2 franchise on its proposed opera- Only yesterday 2 60 Years Ago - Jan. 18, 1935 | LAST LOCAL CIVIL WAR VETERAN DIES Taps echoed over the hillsides where he had roamed as a boy this week for John S. DeLong, 91, the last but one of the many Civil War veterans who once lived in this region. Two Federal Emergency Relief ¢ Projects on the Orange-Dallas = | highway which will cost $61,828.05 and employ between 250-275 men for a considerable period have been authorized by the Luzerne County Commission- ers. Dallas Borough Taxpayers Association, leader in the cam- paign to assure an adequate wa- ter supply to Dallas homes, “ marked time this week, awaiting the report of the Public Service Commission on its hearing of complaints. 50 Years Ago - Jan .12, 1945 THIRD YEAR OF WAR RATIONING BEGINS Yesterday was the third anni- versary of rationing in the United States. During the early part of . that period the Back Mountain ' Region was served by Wyoming War, Price & Rationing Board, but on Oct. 1, 1942, Dallas War, Price and Rationing Board was estab- lished to better serve the 12,000 persons within Dallas area. Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Garey of Vernon have received a War De- partment telegram informing them of the death of their son, Corp. William J. Garey on Saipan on December 12. Cpl. Edwin A. Burkhardt, 21, engineer-gunner on a B-24 Lib- erator Bomber flying from a 15th Air Force Base in Italy has been missing in action over Germany since December 17, according to information received by his par- ents of RFD 1, Hunlock Creek. Now playing, “Home in Indi- |g) ana” withJeanne Crain and June ' | Haver at the Shaver Theatre. Globe Dept. Store in Luzerne going out of business sale, Wool skirts, $1.79; Womens dresses, sizes 12-50 $5.88; 100% wool fur trimmed and sports coats, $12.88 up to $34.88; wool sweaters, $129. bod THhev ULE | 40 Years Ago - Jan,. 14, 1955 « NATONA MILLS STRIKE THREAT IS AVERTED Residents of the Back Moun- tain Region were pleased yester- day morning to learn that an agreement had been reached Wednesday between Natona Mills and Branch A-23 Levers Aux. Sec. Amalgamated Lace Operations of America, comprising approxi- mately 425 Natona employees. Earlier in the week there had been a strike threat because manage- ment and union could not agree on a contract to replace the ond that expired December 31. The only bright spot in a rou- tine joint school board meeting of Lehman-Jackson-Ross directors Tuesday was the dramatic proof of the vital importance of insur- ance for students. Lester Squire, supervising principal, giving ares- ume of the peculiaraccident which caused the loss of Laura Smith's finger last Wednesday, said that the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ziba Smith, were protected on the cost of hospital service, treatment and doctor's bills, which will total a sizeable sum. ao A | £y | ol di ll { 30 Years Ago - Jan. 14, 1965 BM.T. TELECABLE SEEKS PERMIT | President of Back Mountain f Telecable and his lawyer told Borough Council this week that the cable TV company was “not necessarily seeking” an exclusive tion in Dallas but would like one. Atty. Theodore Krohn then sug- gested 30 days would be adequate time for council to decide whether to grant a permil for operation even if a franchise did not enter the picture. A '} v o | A proposed television cable 1 subscription service for Lehman Township, the same service pres- ently asking exclusive franchises all over the Back Mountain was considered by supervisors Satur- day and the matter was tabled. Dallas High School basketball team successful opened the 1965 North League season with a 79- 78 victory over Wyoming Semi- nary. Lake-Lehman cagers scored a : 73-49 victory over Wilkes-Barre 4 Township. You could get - Boneless chuck roast, 57¢ lb.; Lamb roast, 15¢ Ib.; grapefruit, 6/45¢; tomatoes cello pkg., 19¢; Maxwell House 1- y Ib. can, 79¢. {
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers