viewpoint The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 5, 1995 5 The economic Z / 2 Howard Grossman | : What do the spotted owl and & the woodpecker have in common 9 with endangered communities? The spotted owl has become a ‘symbol of deep controversy in the ‘northwestern part of the United States in relation to forest man- agement. The woodpecker has become a controversial symbol in Texas and the preservation of forestland in that state. How to protect endangered species and at the same time protect the ability to economically support communities, especially in rural areas has become part of the endangered communities- endangered species syndrome. Whether or not Pennsylvania has ‘the ability to meet the challenges of land use management and environmental sensitivity and to avoid the challenge of endangered communities remains a difficult and perplexing problem as new and often conflicting messages interact across the constellation of municipalities in the Common- wealth. _. Are there such things as en- dangered communities? Clearly, in Pennsylvnaia, communities are endangered on the basis of fiscal constraints and distress. The Pennsylvania Financially Dis- tressed Communities Act provides for this distinction, and munici- palities such as Scranton, Johnstown, and others who have been declared financially dis- tressed and are receiving support assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs are growing in number and face the : prospect and likelihood of being drained of resources and strained in meeting citizens needs. On the other hand, community identity in Pennsylvania has not been lost nor has it been neglected. The beauty of Pennsylvania, in part, is community lifestyle and the identification of town life which contains. some characteristics found in New England. While the Commonwealth's image to many are the eastern/western gateways of ‘Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Preserving endangered communities is important much of Pennsylvania is repre- sented by towns and villages. Pennsylvania is in danger of los- ing some of its lifestyle identity if solutions are not found in the near term to the spiraling dilemma of financial problems which affect some of the Pennsylvania land- scape. To some extent, communities will never disappear since they are transformed into another type of entity or another form of livabil- ity, although in some parts of the nation, they literally have disap- peared since the new entity bears little or no resemblance to what it replaced. This is perhaps best typified by Joel Garreau's book “Edge City” which describes how the transformation of parts of suburban megalopolis created a new lifestyle in America. It shows in dramatic form in a new book titled “Reinventing Government” which was written by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler, in which entrepreneurial government is given a strong fo- cus, the concept being that pri- vatizing government as if it were a business operation would, in ef- fect, save local government. No matter the location, geographic, social, and cultural characteris- tics of a community, these two books should be opened and read by governmental officials across the country. Pennsylvania is blessed with a lifestyle of local communities which are impacted some times harshly by demographics and the striking incidence of an aging population. Demographics will play an increasingly significant role in how Pennsylvania copes in the 21st century and how it can capitalize on the positive assets of community life, workforce skills, geographic location, transporta- tion network and the other impor- tant natural resources and people characteristics found throughout the state. Pennsylvania has more local governments than any other state except Illinois. It, therefore, faces conditions much different than most of the remainder of the coun- try. Its challenges are enormous beyond the headlines which often dictate policy. For example, the environmental movement is an outstanding contribution to the quality of life of the state and the nation. It grabs headlines and most of the issues which are printed or spoken about in the SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS - Three Back Mountain students were awarded Wyoming Seminary’s media have something to do with environmental concerns. This, too often hides or disguises the practical, fiscal problems which face many small communities, both urban and rural. In fact, although the debate rages as to whether or not the nation or the state has an urban or rural policy, there are no issues more critical than the need for a national policy which wraps around all geographic areas no matter the type, size or location. Both urban and rural America face the challenges and opportu- nities of global competition. It will take a great deal of patience and resources to solve the problems of endangered communities which are found in both the urban and rural areas of the state and the nation. There is no question that some communities are truly endangered and that communities could be labeled as endangered species. The problem is not insoluble, however, and is correctable by the application of proven techniques, especially those having to do with communities working closely to- gether to provide services, devel- oping a local governmental en- trepreneurial approach to service delivery, and re-examining the way revenues accrue to local govern- ments. The latter should includ tax sharing, a concept which has been used successfully in a number of places across the na- tion. There are no easy answers to the dilemma of endangered com- munities. Recognizing that com- munities are endangered comes about as a result of continual analysis and study of the role . which local government plays in 1992 and not what it played in 1892. it comes about as a result of looking ahead and developing a strategic vision of the 21st cen- tury role of local government. And it comes about as a result of ren- aissance in creativity and innova- tion which caused local govern- ments to rise to be the foremost invention of political life of the nation's historical past, a condi- tion whose characteristics have substantially changed and there- fore require solutions consistent with the next century and not the past 100 years. Howard Grossman is Executive Director of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Penn- sylvania. He lives in Dallas. Trustee Achievement Scholarships. From left: George B. Sordoni, chairman, Wyoming Seminary Board of Trustees; Mr. and Mrs. Michael Messersmith of Dallas; scholarship winner Michael Messersmith; Mr. and Mrs. David Ryan of Dallas; scholarship winner Jeffrey Ryan; scholarship winner Timothy Reddy; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Reddy of Shavertown; Wyoming Seminary presdient H. Jeremy Packard. Three earn Seminary scholarships “Wyoming Seminary has recog- nized exceptional scholastic achievement by awarding five Trustee Achievement Scholar- ships to area students for the coming academic year. Three of the awards went to Back Moun- tain students. : The first-place winner, awarded a full-tuition scholarship to Wyo- ming Seminary, is Kristyn Kelle- her of Forty Fort. The second-place winner, award a half-tuition scholdrship, is Timothy Reddy of Shavertown. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Reddy, Tim has participated in the school newspaper, the chorus and band, and football and la- crosse teams at Wyoming Semi- nary's Lower School in Forty Fort. A member of the Wilkes-Barre Wings ice hockey program, he has excelled in mathematics, study- ing high-school level geometry as an eighth-grader. He will be a ninth-grader at Wyoming Semi- nary in the fall. $2,000 awards were also pre- sented to area students. Michael Messersmith, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Messersmiith of Dallas; and Jeffrey Ryan, the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Ryan of Dallas. They were selected on the basis of their performance on a com- petitive exam, interviews and teacher recommendations. The Trustee Achievement Scholarship program, now in its 14th year, recognizes exceptional achieve- ment in eighth-and ninth grade students. For more information, contact Wyoming Seminary at 283-6060. @ A special birthday gift Harveys Lake resident Roy H. Tyson, right, received a congratulatory cedrtificate from Senator Charles Lemmond, left, on his 94th birthday July 1. Tyson (he says he’s no relation to Mike) said he stays young by “admiring all the pretty young ladies.” POST PHOTO/GRACE R. DOVE Library news Enchanting troll collection visits the library By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The display case at the Back Mountain Memorial Library is showing a ccilection of trolls bor- rowed from Deanna Hedges of Dallas. Dean:ia is 12 years old and will begin seventh grade in September at Dallas Middle School. There are 65 trolls in the case; some very tiny and some rather large. She began to collect them about eight years ago JUST BECAUSE SHE liked them. She now receives them for birthdays and holidays and buys some for herself. Special ones are from Hershey Park, Happy Birthday Troll; a space man; one from Grandma with batteries and when squeezed. the eyes light up; a baby one’s diaper changes color to blue or pink when you put it in water. There is a special 49ers football troll and three wedding trolls; a bride, groom and a bridesmaid. Deanna’s favorite troll is a Christ- mas baby troll in a diaper. a, PHARMACY 159 N. Memorial Hwy, Shavertown, PA 675-1191 : WET BASEMENT? | FREE ESTIMATE B-DRY SYSTEMS ! 824-8808 he Included in the display are hair clips, bows and other accessories for the trolls. This is one of the most colorful displays we have had for a while because of the trolls hair color. They will add color to the library until July 26. A handmade quilt by Mrs. Flick's third grade reading class at Dallas Elementary School is on display in the library. This is a very colorful lap quilt. This will be a timed item to be auctioned off on Saturday, July 8 at 7 p.m. New books at the library: “The Club” by Jane Heller is a story of love and ambition in the 90's, the madness behind the ruthless drive for wealth and status, and the designer-label pretensions of success and power. Judy Price's life is to die for. She has a hand- some husband with bullish pros- pects on Wall Street, a great ca- reer, her own BMW and a land- mark house in Chesterfield County, Connecticut. She changes from a calm into a daring woman. “Noah's Garden” by Sara Stein is about restorying the ecology of our own back yards. America’s landscape style of neat yards and gardens has devastated subur- ban ecology. Gardeners are wip- ing out animal species by destroy- ing their habitats and food sup- plies. Entire communities of plants and insects have been wiped bare. When they realized the full extent of their efforts, they had banished animals from their paradise. A look with a new and thoughtful eye. “Monday's Child Is Dead” by James Elward is the story of a fashion industry that can be a cut-throatbusiness. Adead model pulls cranky, retired professor Horace Livesey into the world of high fashion—where next season's clothes take second place to murder. A quiet, shy girl is trying to be a successful model or a conniving lying witch? This girl is murdered after sending the pro- fessor a portfolio of her pictures. Only he doesn’t know her. 16 Carverton Road, Trucksville call Ahead BETToMpR Lo]0 Eat in or Take Out Try Our Wings! Mon.: 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm Tues., Wed., Thurs.: 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm Fri.: 11:00 am - 12:00 Midnight : Sat.: 12:30 pm - 12:00 Midnight « Sun.: 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm came rolling in. manager. 45 MAIN ROAD DALLAS, PA 18612 675-5211 Paul Gorney with one of the products sold at Poseidon Pools "A great location and advertising in The Post have paid off." When Poseidon Pools set up shop on Union Street in Luzerne, at the foot of the Dallas Highway, they thought it was a winning location. And it was. Then they started advertising in The Dallas Post, and customers from the Back Mountain "We sell in and above ground pools, spas and outdoor furniture, so we figured the Back Mountain was a good target for us," said Paul Gorney, the store's "Then we started advertising in The Post, and we knew we had a winning combination. We have a store in Dickson City, too, so we place our ads in The Post's sister paper, The Abington Journal, to reach the best suburbs of Scranton." Poseidon Pool joins a long list of satisfied advertisers in The Post and Journal. If you want to find out how to join them, and reach the most desirable communities in Northeast Pennslvania, call today. The Dallas Post The Abington Journal 211 SOUTH STATE STREET CLARKS SUMMIT, PA 18411 587-1148
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers