arte? i AT —r a 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, May 17, 1995 hid he Dallas Post Dallas raises too high Why should taxpayer-supported jobs receive 4 times inflation rate? Pegple who live in the Dallas School District should take “affront at the excessively-large raises given to administrators last week. Ranging up to 13.4 percent, and in many cases fol- lowing increases of twice the inflation rate in 1994, the raises are a slap in the face to hard working taxpayers, few of whom have seen anything close to these hikes in recent years. Compounding the two years, individuals will be paid up to 22 percent more this coming year than their rate two years ago. In real dollar terms, these are not low wage positions. High school principal Frank Galicki, for example, will receive an increase of $6,500 this year, bringing his salary to $60,500. Business manager Charlotte Williams will get a boost of $5,500, or 12.4 percent after getting more than a $3,000 raise last year. That's a hefty increase by any measure, and especially so just a year after the district concluded a nasty teacher contract negotia- tion in which faculty received about 4 percent on average. We know the explanation, because we've heard it before; Dallas administrators are less well paid than some of their counterparts in other districts. Why, some even make less than the highest-paid teachers, although that argument doesn’t really hold after the latest round of raises. Those may be legitimate arguments, if as a result Dallas was losing good people right and left. But the fact is not a single administrator — or teacher for that matter — has left the district for higher pay in the last decade. Truth be told, hardly any public school personnel want to move precisely because they have such comfortable lives with comparatively high salaries, top-flight benefits, paid sabbaticals and enough time off to pursue just about any avocation. It is understandable that the school board wants to reward loyal employees, and bring them up to levels comparable to their peers. But this year’s raises are just too much too fast. They will cost too much, and send a destructive message to the people who must pay for them; that taxpayer-funded expenses can be unhinged from the general economy, and there's not much we can do about it. If Dallas School District administrators really are worth more, they should be brought up to speed more slowly, with increases a bit higher than what is generally available in the private sector and the level in the teacher contract. This year, ‘that would have been 5 percent at the most. Publisher's notebook ll Ron Bartizek I'm not usually sympathetic to the conservative side of the political spectrum, because I think their assumptions about people are too pat and often cruel. But I won't argue too much with their aim to balance the federal budget by the year 2002. The details will surely change, and hopefully any mention of a tax cut, particularly for those earning high incomes, will disappear. But give them credit for being the first to lay out what it will take to bring the U.S. back onto sound financial footing. One of the key elements is an as-yet-unspecified cut in spending for Medicare and Medicaid. The Democrats appear to have no answer to that other than to howl loudly about the dire consequences of Republican cuts. But something must be done, and I'm not sure the Senate's proposals aren't doable, if two items are addressed. The first is the substantial cost of outright fraud in these programs. I read an article last week that explained how Medicare is routinely billed $600 for a procedure that costs $47 when performed for a private insurer. This kind of thing is rampant, as shown by frequent arrests for fraudulent billing. The second is simply the high cost of much treatment as it is now provided. One proposed fix is to bring Medicare and Medicaid recipients into the managed care plans that now make up the majority of private health care coverage. These outfits would be much more careful with their spending. We can help. Everyone who receives medical care should scrutinize the bill, even if it’s paid by “someone else.” We all pay in the end, and reporting wrong or overcharged services will help root out some of the fraud and waste. 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. Bax 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 717-675-5211 Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Grace R. Dove REPORTER Peggy Young ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Urbanas OFFICE MANAGER PRINTED WITH HUN whe Ea SOY INK NSTONAL NewsFamen NEWSPAPER ¢ D, Letters Dallas Corners supermarket going downhill Editor: I am writing in regard to the situation with the Dallas Corners Insalaco’s (nee Acme). It's been very discouraging to watch the Insalaco’s management rachet down this formerly thriving store that had been run and staffed by (without naming names) some really wonderful people, to a glori- fied convenience store run with a skeletal crew. Insalaco’s apparent intentions are to close it in favor of their Country Club and Shavertown locations. This is a presumption as none of my calls to the District Manager have been returned. However, unlike Native Textiles, . stores, service seems to be cavalier disregard of their employees in particular and Dallas Township in general. The former Acme managers treated their staff well and, in turn, the staff were more atten- tive, responsive and amiable to their customers than at any other grocery store I've shopped. In their few short months of extended tenure, Insalaco’s has managed to eliminate many employees and to disgust, insult and completely undermine the security of the rest in all of their Dallas area stores. No other Dallas grocery store serves the area with such prosin: ity to the post office, bank, Insalaco’s still intends todo busis.. grants, hardware, appliance and’ ness in this community. There: fore, they had better concern themselves with redressing what ‘beverage stores. Professional of- fices, etc., and Bus Stop. This is the only grocery store that is within Station’ Fettaigio ow ob walking distance to the greatest concentration of Dallas residents. I know that Dallas’ supervisors are trying to effect an outcome to somehow keep a grocery store at the Dallas Corners location. Please support their efforts. If Insalaco’s closes that store and sells it for a non-grocery fu- ture, I, for one will cut my “In Card” (have you cringed at the smug tone of that card, too?) into very small pieces and mail them all to the District Manager at Insalaco’s Pittston office (they're in the phone book) and go without before I will ever set foot in an Insalaco’s again. same. Mary Blanc Dallas Commends fire co., police response to car fire Editor: Dr. Curtis Goodwin and his staff at Back Mountain Eyecare Center in Shavertown would like to commend the Shavertown Fire Department, Trucksville Fire Department and all police offi- cials who responded to the emer- gency on May 3, 1995. We sin- cerely appreciate their quick re- sponse time, concern, and polite- ness. Dr. Curtis Goodwin Shavertown Thanks for a great Teacher Appreciation Day! Editor: A special note of thanks to the Lehman-Jackson PTA, commit- tee members of the Teacher Ap- preciationi project, and the par- ents who so graciously donated their time, effort, and treats, As I was saying Jack Hilsher =. SOME ODDS & ENDS (Mostly Odd)....Much as we might like to, it’s not possible to ignore com- pletely the matter of O. J. Simpson, ex-jock. So we'll try to treat the subject a little differently, all the while ignoring the fact that Judge Ito once ran up and down the halls of his school in his under- clothes, (all true) yelling “Banzai” aJapanese slogan which'T always thought meant “attack the white devils” or something of the sort. However my Webster's says itis a greeting or patriotic cheer mean- ing, “May you live a thousand years.” To me, that is just as inscrutable as they are. Didn't their suicide pilots yell that too? [LX J To get back on the subject - 0.J. Ifanyone has a box of fooball cards about 25 years old, dig ‘em out. His rookie card ('70) was $60 before his trial; now it's worth during the week of May 1, 1995. Our PTA has continued time and time again to show their outstanding support to both the children and teachers through- out the entire year. Parents supporting teachers, teachers supporting parents, all working for the betterment of the children, is where it's at! Teaching Staff Lehman-Jackson School Lehman More about O.J. than you probably cared to know $600! His 1971 football card was $5 and is now $75! There is an OJ board game which was worth $20 before the trial and now goes for $150. If you like sports star wearing apparel, a jersey he wore in games was $1,500 and now will set you back a mere $5,000! Brother! (1 1] Not that nuts about football, I was only vaguely aware of OJ's football fame. If my readers are the same, it may be of interest to read some of the reasons for that fame: In 1968 he won the Heis- man Trophy for Best Football Collegiate Athlete. He led the league for rushing in 1972, 1975 and 1976. In 1973 he broke the record for most yards gained in a single season (20083). In 1975 he led the league in touchdowns. In 1976 he broke the record for most yards gained in a single game (273). (XL 1] If you aren't into football cards how about postage stamps? The Republic of Guyana, a British Commonwealth nation on the northeast coast of South Amer- ica, has had an O.J. Simpson stamp in active circulation (post- age use) for two years. The stamp is part of a set showing famous people of the 20th century, scien- tists, inventors, artists, entertain- ers, politicos and humanitarians, in addition to athletes. It has a face value of $50 and was printed in a limited edition of only a few thousand or so. Most were used as postage and the remaining sheets are said to have been scooped up by a Maryland collec- tors society. Guyanans don't know what a bonanza they had. ooo Remember the flap recently over Kato Kaelin when he appeared at a Washington radio and TV corre- spondents’ dinner? Naturally with that “unmade bed” look he was spotted immediately and was mobbed by a stampede of ladies, all wishing to have their picture taken with the famous live-in Kato. Now the purpose of including this little tidbit is that I think you should know one of Bill Clinton's esteemed cabinet members (How in heaven's name does he pick them?) was smack in the middle of the pack asking for an auto- graph: Health and Human Serv- ices Secretary Donna Shalala. Perhaps she was only getting it for a niece, but if so, why didn't she straighten the kid out? Read all about the Back Mountain in The Dallas Post I encourage others to do the Only yesterday 60 Years Ago - May 24, 1935 DALLAS TWP. SCHOOL GRADUATES 15 3 Commencement exercises for the 15 members of the Senior Class of Dallas Township will be held June 4 at the Himmler The- » atre. Class night will be June 3. and the high school picnic May 29; 5 at Martz's Farm. New traffic regulations adopted 4 and put into effect recently by Dallas Borough Council were" discussed at the meeting of coun~: cilmen, centering on the condi+: tion existing nightly along Lake: Street near the theatre. Council-" - man Wesley Himmler, proprietor." of the theatre, protested that the new signs inconvenience his pa-"- trons and restrict traffic in excess of the need. L You could get - Round steak, 39¢ Ib.; chuck pot roast, 21¢ Ib.; new Texas onions, 3 Ibs., 17¢;. Waldorf Paper, 6 rolls, 24¢; Rai-, . sin Bread, 10¢ loaf. 50 Years Ago - May 25, 1945 FIRST AREA DOG SHOW" HELD AT IREM Many of the finest dogs in this. part of the State will be shown at _. the First Dog Show sponsored by, the newly formed Back Mountain Kennel Club at Irem Temple _ Country Club June 3. The show. will be an American Kennel Club, , sanctioned match and members - x of the local club urge all Back Mountain dog owners to enter . their pets. Sgt. Louis Achuff and Lt. Peter" Skopic, both prisoners of war iri’' Germany, have been released and 3h now returned to military control, according to information received by their parents. For the second time in Woy a ; weeks Lehman High School sen- ior band, chorus, majorettes and; | twirlers directed by Santel. Ragne,: appeared in a benefit concert at -. Lehman High School for the. . Lehman Township Volunteer Fire: ~ Co. Funds realized from concert; will go toward maintenance of the +, newly formed company and to-w.-. ward a fire house fund: 40 Years Ago - May 20, 1955 NEW SUBSTATION IS ADDED AT THE LAKE Within the next week, Harveys 3 Lake Light Co. will cutinto service “ its second substation, construc- tion of which has just been com- |’. pleted at Kunkle, L.F. Kingsley the company’s general manager stated today. Harveys Lake Light. Co. is growing with some rapidity as is the new population and new: residences in the Back Moumiain: =] and Harveys Lake area. - Independent Republican can- 3 didates for county office made a. . clean sweep of it in Tuesday's - - Primary Election in the Back Mountain area. T. Newell Wood : “and Bowden Northrup ran 3-1 ahead of Herman Kersteen, in-_ cumbent for County Commis- sioner. With the exception of district attorney. in which Atty. James Brown of Shavertow, led the ticket here, the regular Demo- © crat slate of Dr. Dorris carried the £4 area. “Many Rivers to Cross” star--" ring Robert Taylor and Eleanor * Parker now playing at the Himmler Theatre. 30 Years Ago - May 20, 1965 --& OLD SHAVER THEATRE NOW A FUNERAL HOME An open house honoring Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hoover of Outlet” ~ | on their Golden Wedding Anni- | ° versary will be held in the home | they have lived in since their.” . marriage. Thecouplehasadaugh- - | ter, Iva, a missionary in the Cum- berland Mountains of Tennessee; ; A R Se , sons, Paul and Emmett, both of “* © the Outlet, and six grandchildren. Cost of cafeteria meals at Lake": _ - Lehman will rise slightly begin-- | - ning in September to meet in: ' creased cost of food and to finance: | purchase and replace equipment’. if necessary. Lunches for kids 4! - 6 grade remained 25¢; but ins.‘ . - creased for first through third-. graders from 23¢ to 25¢. oo AJ » -» Groundbreaking ceremonies | ° were held Tuesday for the new Snowden Funeral Home on North Main Street, Shavertown, formerly Alteration | the Shaver Theatre. that will be made will develop the : . original theater building into a ©’ stately white colonial building in | the same tradition as the other Snowden Homes in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre. ), ’ 4
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers