4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, February 15, 1995 \ la The Dallas Post When storms strike, unseen help is there A nasty winter storm can bring out the best in people, and also can remind us of the important but unseen work that goes on each day in our communities. Grace Dove's feature article last week on Franklin Township road foreman Art Owen put the spotlight on one such task — clearing the Back Mountain's roads of snow and ice. That mundane task seldom draws attention except when it’s neglected, or when plowing the public street blocks your driveway; instead this work usually is invisible and under-appreciated. ‘Owen and his counterparts throughout the Back Mountain aren’t paid princely sums to open up roads so the rest of us can get to work, school or shopping. They don't often get awards or promotions, or see their photos in the paper. More likely they are the butt of jokes about how many workers it takes to repair a bad spot in the road, or take down an overgrown tree. But that’s an unfair characterization of people who do their jobs competetently day in and out, then work extraordinarily long and hard hours whenever disaster or emergency strikes, as most of us sit snug in our living rooms. ~ It is ironic — or perhaps to be expected — that in the latest storm, as in the past, local roads and streets were in far better condition that Route 309, the most heavily-traveled state highway. Two or three inches of snow and slush were still covering 309 the afternoon after the storm when most side streets were clear. That is one indication of the care that town employees show for their neighbors. ‘The fashion for many years has been to criticize all govern- ment employees as lazy, incompetent, or both. Surely there are good and bad employees in our towns, as there are in virtually every work setting. That fact shouldn't detract from the overall truth that we are fortunate to have conscientious, committed people around to make our lives easier, even when we don’t notice them. Publisher's notebook miniature The Dream House in Miniature Club from the Back Mountain, held a dollhouse Christmas dis- play in December for the Mead- ows Nursing Center in Dallas. The display featured 20 homes and buildings of various architec- ture designs, including an Eng- lish tudor, a duplex, an antebel- lum mansion, a barrel-roof victo- rian, a log cabin, a church, a music shop, a Christmas shop and a working grist mill. All were made and furnished | Ron Bartizek Congratulations to the Dallas and Lake-Lehman wrestling teams for outstanding efforts this year. The Black Knights appear headed for an unbeaten season, while the Mountain- eers have put together a solid 7-3 league record. The Lehman program has known success many times before, but this is the strongest Dallas squad in some years, showing that coach Steve Kaschenbach’s hard work is paying off. 000 I heard Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson last week ad- dressing the National Press Club, and he made the point that states should be allowed to chart their own course on many issues now directed by the federal government. (No, wasn't in Washington; all national press club luncheons are broadcast live on WVIA-FM, 89.9 at 1 p.m. They don’t occur every day, but when they do, they're always on.) His state was one of the first given permission to modify its approach to welfare, and made some huge changes. Combined with measures to stimulate economic growth, Thompson believes his measures account for a startling decrease in the number of individuals on welfare, many of whom have found private-sector employment. Thompson is a Republican, and one of his party's rising stars. But he rejected national Republican fixes to this problem as well as Democratic ones, contending that states should be left to devise their own solutions. He certainly made a strong case for his ideas. Of course, one thing that isn’t mentioned in the current fervor for devolution of power to the states is that ‘the federal government took over many of these tasks because many states either wouldn't address pressing needs, or more money went into the pockets of corrupt politicians than for its stated purpose. Perhaps there must be a continual, slow swing back and forth between state and federal in order to correct inevitable faults at either level, and we're now on the federal to state side. Letters, columns and editorials ‘rhe Dallas Fost attempts to publish opinions on a variety of topics in many forms. Editorials. which are the opinion of the managment of The Fost, appear on the editorial page. Any artwork represents the opinion 3‘ the cartoonist, and columns are the opinion of the author. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, subject to the following guidelines: ¢ Letters should not exceed 500 words. * No writer may have more than one letter published during a 30-day period, except as a reply to another letter. _ * Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town -ard a telephone number for verification. * Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear threat to the writer. » The Post retains the right to accept or reject any letter, and to edit Jeiters for grammar and spelling, as well as to eliminate any l'bel, slander or objectionable wording. Ir. addition to letters, we welcome longer pieces that may run as.columns. The author or subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be the prime consideration when selecting meterial for publication. The Dallas Post Published Weekly by Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Telephone: 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Peggy Young ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Grace R. Dove REPORTER 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 Ce by the club members. CLASSIC TUDOR HOME - This Tudor home was made by Fred and Lois Hughes. A NEAT MILL - This working gristmill was made by Robert Miller. [ etters Editor: What bee got under Paul Ris- miller’s bonnet this past week in his “Ghostwriter” column? While certainly no large supporter of President Clinton, Rismiller's bashing is unnecessary. I strongly object to his one-sided appraisal of the sanctity of the Republican “Contract On America.” How a balanced budget is beyond me. Let the Republicans just come out and say how they intend to make ends meet, we do not need to change the constitution. Why does Rismiller think Newt Gingrich is above reproach? While it's true that his number one critic, Rep. David Bonior took $1000 in FOXPAC money, I do believe he is speaking against the deal. If he was “on the take” from the Fox PAC money, he would keep his mouth shut. Guilty or not, the deallooks bad and ifanyone thinks Rupert Murdoch was not trying to buy influence needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Speaking of PAC money, Rismiller does not mention the monies Gingrich received from GOPAC, his fund- ing arm. Among the contributors: Carl Lidner, chairman of the American Financial Corporation. Lindner is a former business associate of jailed S&L high roller Charles Keating and has twice settled fraud charges with the SEC. At $55,000 Linder is the largest postelection contributor to GOPAC. Harold Simmons, CEO of the Dallas Texas based Contran Cor- poration. Currently Simmons’ main company is seeking change in tax legislation effecting farmer cooperatives that buy business properties. Contran, one of the country’s largest toxic polluters, would also benefit from an ease- Ghostwriter's criticisms were too harsh up at the EPA. He has kicked in at least $125,000 to GOPAC over several years. Paul Thiele, owner of a kaolin mining company in central Geor- gia that is the subject of an anti- trust investigation by the Justice Department. He has contributed more than $30,000 to GOPAC since 1990. While it true, there is no evi- dence of wrong doing, use com- mon sense. If1 am receiving a big fat check from McDonald's, I am sure not going to say that Big Macs clog your arteries and can lead to heart attacks. If we want clean legislators, we need campaign financing reform, not the name calling evident in Rismiller's column that adds nothing to political debate. Jeff Longaven Shavertown UFO's are neither unlikely or impossible Editor: I give Mr. Jack Hilsher credit for the background information he offered on UFO's in his “As I was saying” column in the Febru- ary 8th edition, but the headline: “UFO's - Unlikely at best” is not the conclusion I would read in this matter. I have attended “UFO Confer- ences” twice a year for the past five years. These are meetings in which people with an interest in the subject can meet with people who have had encounters and hear speeches from many of the well known authors of UFO books. I have met and spoken with Betty Hill, Whitley Streiber, Budd Hopkins, Fred Mack, Calvin Parker, Travis Walton, Ed Wal- ters and many other well known UFO experiencers, and I would have to say that the inescapable conclusion I draw from this expe- rience is that UFO’s simply are not limited to reality as we know it. It's not that they're not real, it's just that they seem to have the option of moving freely in and out of the reality we experience. People have reportedly been abducted in crowded neighbor- hoods in broad daylight. They have been “gone” for a few min- utes in our time, but for longer periods in “UFO time”.. In one case I know of, the abductees were actually returned to their home before they left! I would recommend to Mr. Hilsher that he avail himself of books like Alien Contact by Timo- thy Good, or Abduction by Fred Mack to get a handle on some of the whys and wherefores of the UFO phenomenon. Then he would be able to answer his questions like, “Where is the physical evi- dence?” (They take il out of our “time”) and why they would exam- ine humans and cows without overt contact (it has to do with our evolution and their survival - and maybe ours!). I cordially invite Mr. Hilsher to come with me next time there's a conference. Perhaps he'll come back singing a different tune. Bob Shortz Dallas Library news Library officers elected at annual meeting By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library Board of Directors met on February 7, for the annual meet- ing of the library. Book inventory on December 31, 1993 was 60,166; new books added in 1994 were 1874 and books withdrawn and discarded amounted to 647; leaving a total of 61,493 books in the collection. Total circulation of materials for 1994 was 89,161; Adult51,136 and children 37,025. Reference questions answered for year 4,187 and total volunteer hours amounted to 2,375. Interlibrary loan transaction totaled 726. Book Club members circulated 2,808 books. New borrowers joining the library in 1994 were 1,330 and borrowers re-registering amounted to 2,683. Total number of estimated active borrowers as of December 31,1994 is 11,172. The election of officers for 1995 was held with the following members taking office. President, Joseph Stager, vice president, Ruth Tetschner; secretary, Pauline Kutz and treasurer, Ken- neth Krakosky. The board meet- ings are held on the first Tuesday of each month. New books at the library: “The Lost Son” by Brent Spencer is a novel with powerful gusts from family fission. Having decided men's problems are too far gone for help, Ellen has left Redmond, her lover of 12 years and Nick, her 16-year-old son, and struck out on her own. Redmond was a wide spot in the road, Ellen repeats to herself, nothing more. Blaming each other and stranded together, Redmond and Nick struggle along without Ellen—mostly on mi- crowaved burritos and avoidance maneuvers. Most of all, they are much alike—lost sons both. “Living Wills and Wills” by Judge Howard E. Goldfluss is a book about dignity, responsibility and freedom of choice. It is about the quality of life and the inevita- bility of death, about making sure that your wishes are followed af- ter you are no longer able to ex- press them—both in regard toyour medical treatment in case of ter- minal illness or incapacitation and the distribution of your estate. The author clearly, carefully and compassionately examines all your options—Ilegal, medical and moral—allowing you to make decisions now for the future. “The Boardgame Book” by R.C. Bell is a unique collection of over 80 games from every part of the world and dating as far back as 5,000years. Some, though popu- lar in their own countries, are almost totally unknown abroad, and others are rarities only to be found in museums and private collections. Only A yesterda Vo 60 Years Ago - Feb. 22, 1935 BORO ASKS FEDS FOR PAVING FUNDS Applications for Federal funds: for the paving of Pinecrest and, Spring Ave. projects in Dallas, Borough have been filed and-will| be forwarded to Harrisburg within the next 10 days, Borough Engi- neer John Jeter, reported at a meeting of council on Monday. Howard H. Woolbert, Shaver: town, was a second prize $25 winner in the “Why I Like to Shop. in Luzerne” contest, sponsored by the Luzerne businessmen during the Christmas holidays. You could get - Chuck roast, 18¢ Ib.; new potatoes, 51bs., 25¢: butter, 2 Ibs., 75¢; Octagon soap, 6 giant cakes, 25¢. : 50 Years Ago - Feb. 16, 1945 BORO PLANS TO SET |, UP TEEN CENTER | Stricken with infantile paraly-- sis while serving with the 11th. Airborne Division in the Philip-. pines, Pfc. Roy Schultz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Schultz, is now in an Army hospital in New Guinea; . awaiting transportation to the U.S. Plans for establishment of.a: Teen-Age Center in Dallas Bor-! ough were discussed Thursday. night at a meeting in Dallas Bor-- ough High School Building. Many organizations were represented. After the objects of the meeting : were fully discussed, it was maved and seconded that a committee: be appointed to seek a suitable building for the Teen-Age Center. Mr. and Mrs. John Crispell celebrated their 61st wedding , anniversary February 14. They | are parents of a son Ray, Meeke,r | and daughter, Mrs. Kenneth Ste- | vens of Broadway. 40 Years Ago - Feb. 11, 1955 © BORO OUT OF ASH Dallas Borough's supply of ; \ ashes for street cindering is ex- | hausted. Borough Street Com- ; missioner R. Eipper said yester- ¢ day that he would have to start . hauling a new supply from Sweet | Valley. Frequent snow falls and need for continuous ashing have - used the supply up. The Loan Closet at the Cancer | Information Cetiter, Back Moiin-' tain Library Annex, may be drawn upon for supplies by any cancer , patient in the Back Mountain... The closet contains Johnny-coats,, pads and rubber draw sheets for . protection of bedding, bed jackets and standard sick room supplies. Red Cross Blood Insurance program caused a tidal wave of . inquiry and response in the Back . Mountain following publicity. in The Dallas Post, letters issued-to all school children and personal appearance of Ted Raub, district coordinator, at PTA meetings," factories and business concerns. 30 Years Ago - Feb. 18, 1965 TWO TOWNSHIPS CUT" PROPERTY TAXES Bob and Melba Grose's Colo- nial Restaurant on Main Street corner of Memorial Highway has: been sold this weekend to Frank" Carmen of Wilkes-Barre, who took over operation immediately. ~" * Both Dallas Township arid Lehman Township cut back mil- lage last week so that property tax _ would not rise by double or triple because of the new county-wide valuation on real estate. ; Lehman Township Board of Supervisors gave cable television : a negative okay at their meeting but declined to put it in writing. The board did not feel it could stop a legitimate business from - operating in Lehman area, but: they did not issue a letter saying it had “no objection” as was re- : quested in other areas. 20 Years Ago - Feb. 20, 1975. KUNKLE GETS ITS OWN AMBULANCE SERVICE Ambulance service was started" in Kunkle as of February 1. The ambulance will cover the same area as the fire company, Kunkle, - parts of Dallas Township, . Beaumont area, Monroe Town- ship and parts of Vernon area. Prior to the new ambulance, Dal-- las Community Ambulance cov- . ered the area in Dallas Township. Discussions on “change order”, problems with Contractor Lewis. Pugh Jr. and the feasibility of sewering “illegal” residents of boat houses encompassed the main points of contention at a meeting - of the Harveys Lake Sewer Au: thority Monday evening in the Municipal Authority office. You could get - Country smoked picnics, 69¢ lb.; new cabbage, . 13¢ Ib.; Campbells tomato soup, 6/$1; fresh green beans 35¢ 1b; western beef liver, 59¢ Ib. ~~, L
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers