+ Washington, D.C. 20510 | | | a i Mi Wag Bi i ur = FY a | -4 + “The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, August 2, 1995 The Dallas Post EDITORIALS Ladder truck could be useful apparatus here ~The Shavertown Volunteer Fire Company’s drive to raise funds for a new aerial ladder truck will undoubtedly seem like a waste of time and money to some observers. After all, we don’t have any skyscrapers in the Back Mountain — at least not yet — s0 what do we need with a piece of equipment that seems more at home in Philadelphia? It is to be hoped we’ll never have a use for it, but that would be unrealistic. When Daring’s Market burned to the ground, Kingston sent its ladder truck, which was able to soak the building when extended out over the structure. “There are other uses, and not just on tall buildings. A factory like Offset Paperback isn’t that high, but it’s wide, and a ladder truck would be able to direct a stream of water onto areas unreachable by smaller pieces of equipment. Using a truck like this could save lives, too, if it eliminates the need to send men out on roofs not knowing what's underneath them. Shopping . centers, large homes, schools and other structures could be better protected with a ladder truck. Of course, we'd all like to have whatever our heart desires, bot inthe case of something that costs a half-million bucks, it’s not that simple. That's why the fire company is holding fund drives such as the aluminum can collection and a car wash, ‘with more to come. There probably is some grant money to be had as well, but only after the community shows its commit- ment to the project. We think you should, and not just if you live in Shavertown. Obviously not every fire company can or should have this relatively exotic and very expensive piece of ‘apparatus. They don’t need to. Back Mountain fire, police and ambulance crews freely share their equipment, and this truck may be parked in Shavertown but it will be available to all. So help the fund drives any way you can, no matter where you live, because you may be helped in return one day if your house or place. of employment, or that of your neighbor, is saved. Harveys Lake plant saga contains lesson for us The state Department of Environmental Protection is wor- ried about a possibly threatened plant that lives in the outlet of Harveys Lake. Commonly known as the White Water Crow- foot, it is found in only six locations in eastern Pennsylvania. The borough wants to dredge the outlet because silt built up there when beavers built dams in the stream, slowing the water that flows from the lake. When the beavers were still around, the resulting water backup flooded yards and garages. Now there’ s a danger the remaining silt will cause something ! | similar. . The plant is in the buttercup family, and has no apparent ; value other than its existence. In fact, it has been virtually | eradicated because alien plants have crowded it out of its ! habitat. DEP says the primary aggressor is the Fanwort, which ; is not native to the lake or this area. , We would hate to see any species of life erased from exis- ' tence, and hope there’s a compromise solution that will prevent : needless flooding while saving the Crowfoot. Let this dilemma 1 be a lesson, though, to anyone who thinks it harmless to | transplant a favored flower into their environment. Once un- ! , leashed, a foreign plant, insect or animal can raise havoc with | the native inhabitants. Just think of Kudzu. LEGISLATORS DIRECTORY Federal Officials Representative Paul E. | Kanjorski (PA 11th District) : (Democrat) | Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200 . Washington: (202) 225-6511 State Officials State Sen. Charles D. Lemmond (Republican) (717) 675-3931 22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memorial Hwy., Dallas PA 18612-1231 Lemmond’s district includes the Back Mountain. BE State Rep. George Hasay ' 10 E. South St., Wilkes-Barre PA (Republican) | 18701- 2397 287-75050r542-73450r474-2276 or 2429 Rayburn Building or 477-3752 Washington, DC 20515 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. Senator Arlen Specter - (Republican) - Wilkes- Barre: 826-6265 Washington: (202) 224-4254 116 8S. Main S., Wilkes: Barre PA 1 18701 State Rep. Phyllis Mundy (Democrat) 283-9622 or 655-3375 Suite 107, 400 Third Avenue, Kingston PA 18704 Dallas Borough, Dallas Township except for the north voting district, The Dallas Post Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 Senator Rick Santorum . (Republican) ' B-40 Dirksen Building . Washington: (202) 224-6324 ‘Fax: (202) 228-4991 : 717-675-5211 : Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek 4 PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Peggy Young Grace R. Dove ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC REPORTER Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER 2) PRINTED WITH NIN el. eo Sov INK ASSOCIATION Yo PER Frankie, the pot-bellied pig, lives contentendly, as far as anyone can tell, at Winterview Farm in Dallas. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. A Case for Conservation | Alene N. Case | We hear much talk these days about the concept of “risk assess- ment” as it relates to environ- mental hazards. This concept has many difficulties as it is now being implemented. And, as a friend of mine has recently pointed out, these difficulties generally relate to varying perceptions of risk. Before we get into a discus- sion of the deep implications of risk assessments and cost /bene- fit analyses, we need to examine our personal perceptions of risk. How de. we decide whether or not a risk is worth taking? Ihave a brother-in-law’ who' refiises to ride in any vehicle if he is not the driver. Yet, he is the only driver with whom I have surpassed the 100 mph line on the speedometer (I quit looking after that!). Obvi- ously, he is quite confident in his driving skills and must be in control at all times. Otherwise, he perceives himselfat risk. I, on the other hand, perceived myself at risk when we passed 80 mphona narrow two-lane road. I was not in control and I saw no reason for such excess speed. Thus, there are at least two essential ingredients to any per- sonal decision about risk: control and purpose. All of us make such decisions every day. Living is inherently risky, and we must constantly review the hazards with respect to ourselves and to those we love. We know that we will accomplish nothing unless we run risks. We would never have chil- dren, learn to drive, travel to in- As was saying Jack Hilsher , My experience in writing a news- paper column would indicate that while people may read your col- umn, possibly thinking over what they have read for about seven nanoseconds, they seldom ever disclose what their thoughts were to the columnist if they know him. And even if they don't. My mail is non-existent. My phone is silent. Even from a rare personal meeting I usually get, “I read your stuff every week,” along with a blank stare. I wait. Nothing. And so, when Ido get a column comment, I treasure and savor it. At my my volunteer cashier job I sold a NY Times to a man who said, “You should write for them. They could stand some whimsey.” I of course basked in the glow from that comment, which lasted until I got home and looked up whimsey. The dictionary defined it as “odd or fanciful humor.” Oh? Really? Well, let's try something out. See if it's whim- | sey or not. There is a pay-as-you-go sport Take care when assessing environmental risk teresting places, learn about the world, or stay in shape. We would never have an operation, climb a mountain, or fall in love. We also know that we are not always logi- cal in our approach to risk. We have certain irrational fears, such as my fear of snakes, which limit otherwise “safe” behavior. Or, we choose to ignore the risks for the thrill of surviving a bungee jump off a bridge. But still, the choices we make are our own. Some people be- come heroes because they risk everything to rescue someone else or to stand up for some principle in which they strongly believe. Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau expressed his admiration for astronauts this way: “They had judged the threat to their lives to be small ‘in the face’ ofthe ad- vancement of knowledge to which they were going to contribute.” Such risk is, indeed, admirable. Without it, very few advances would be made in medicine, sci- ence, social work, or environ- mental restoration. In the self-same article, Cousteau makes the following apparently contradictory state- ment: “Collective risk in general is the consequence of a decision made by those who do not suffer from it.” In other words, the common people are rarely aware of the risks to which they are subjecting themselves and their families and, therefore, cannot make any decisions concerning that risk. They have neither control nor purpose. This has been most evident in recent dis- asters such as Chernobyl, Bho- pal, and the EXXON Valdez. It was also the impetus behind the Pennsylvania “Right to Know” law that has been in effect for almost a decade. That law requires in- dustries and laboratories within Pennsylvania to provide their workers and the public with the “identity of chemicals they may be exposed to, the potential health hazards that exist and the symp- toms that may be experienced because of exposure...so that they may make knowledgeable and reasoned decisions with respect to the continued personal costs of their employment or residence at a particular place and the need for corrective action.” It, therefore, appears that in- telligent decisions about risk re- quire another element — knowl- edge. Would most people con- tinue to keep guns if they knew that their weapon was 43 times more likely to kill a member of their household than to be used inan act of self-protection? Would we continue to fight clean air regulations if we all knew that one in four American children is at “Fisk of respiratory illness becatse of high ozone levels in our cities? We need to encourage our govern- ment to continue to protect the innocent who have no other means of avoiding risk. We need to understand that scientists can- not prove that something is “safe” but that they can often provide evidence that something is “un- safe.” And, we need to be sure that all pertinent information is openly and honestly discussed before society takes a collective risk. Otherwise, we, our offspring, and the ecosystems in which we live will continue to be in danger from those who may see only the risk to their control or to their profit margin. Itis my hope that each of us will seriously consider our perceptions of risk and our responsibilities to those (human, plant, and animal) who may not be in a position to make such decisions as freely as Paintball — it's not just 'harmless’' kids' game flourishing not far from here called “Skirmish U.S.A.” and its opera- tors call it “The Friendly War Game.” It has been in existence since '84 on Rt. 903, about one mile from Jim Thorpe. It is also called “Paintball in the Poconos," which should give you an idea of just what sort of con is being run there. Each game last 30 minutes and consists of two teams trying to kill each other. Not for real, of course, but they do fire guns and act pretty bloodthirsty about it. The object is to capture the other team’s flag. When you do, you win. Along the way, you should kill as many of the opposing team as you can. A team player is “dead” when he or she is hit by a pellet fired froma CO2 gun. Pellets are about 1/2 inch in diameter and are gela- tin capsules filled with mineral oil and food coloring. They break open on impact, scattering their contents like real gore, and are said to be “bio-degradable - they wash right out.” Pellets cost six cents each. For a $29 entry fee you are provided with a gun and 50 pellets. You must also wear protective goggles and camouflage clothing, items you can rent if you do not bring your own. (Visa and Mastercard are accepted!) After a period of instruction and safety warnings you will clomp around on one of a number of “playing fields.” You are looking for the enemy's flag and he is looking for yours. A participant, when asked why he was there, answered, “Well, it's completely different from what I do every day. I thought it would be a kick to try. I was right. It's a blast!” Corporate participation is en- couraged. Skirmish marketing says, “A flavor of esprit de corps permeates the game as it taps your competitive roots. A SKir- mish match requires leadership, team communication and prob-. lem solving under pressure, crea- tive thinking, planning and self- esteem. Let us help you build your staff to be the organization of the future.” The foregoing, of course, is in between the kill or be killed role- playing. And don't forget, there are events designed for teenagers only. (Their program is called “Young Guns.”) There is also a frontier town being built, com- plete with an Indian village. Or perhaps you would prefer being in a platoon on a “seek and destroy” mission over the Rung Sat River against the NVA. I believe you get the picture by now. Whimsey? I don't think so. I find nothing funny about this. ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - Aug. 9, 1935. : DALLAS TWP. OPENS NEW ATHELTIC FIELDS Dallas Borough Council thi b) week unanimously selected Mor- gan Wilcox, long-time resident of the borough to fill the position left vacant by the death of Council- man Harry Garrahan last week. Wilcox's appointment was a popu- lar one. He has been active in the community fora number of years, is a property owner and has the background which qualifies, him One of the finest athletic field in this section has been com- pleted by Dallas Township and will be used for athletics this Fall. The field behind the high school - building will provide facilities. for all kinds of athletic events. 50 Years Ago - Aug. 10, 1945, . DANCE HALL BECOMES ; EQUIPMENT STORE . Ralph K. Garrahan and George L. Ruckno, Wyoming Valley home builders, have purchased. the Shavertown Lumber Co. from Moses Griffith of Plains and will operate the business under the name of Shavertown Builders Supply Co. Work of renovating the aid Cave Dance Hall and Skating Rin at Hillside into one of the most modern farm equipment stores in the area is rapdily drawing. tc completion. Owners George-Bul- ford and Clarence Myers expect tc open the new store about Oct. 1. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kocher, Sorber Mt. observed their 65th Wedding Anniversary, Aug. 2. Of their 19 children, 11 are living. » for the position. q ) Hy There are 33 grandchildren;: 3% 3 great-grandchildren and : on great-great grandchild. Se¥iT 40 Years Ago - Aug. 5, 1955.. i) DROUGHT HITS AREA Unless there are heavy rains within the next few days, suffi- cient to swell streams, the big Armour Leather Co, tannery, at - Noxen will be forced to close be- cause of its inability to get rid its wastes. The plant treats its waste from its tanning processes in a filtering plant and then allows it to run off into Bowman's Creek which in normal seasons is able to absorb them without damage to fish life. Prolonged drought has dried up mountain springs and streams throughout the Back Mountain region, causing reptiles to leave their rocky ledges and dens an¢ seek water in the lowlands. Dur- ing July 123 rattlesnakes were killed within a seven mile Taflius of Noxen. 30 Years Ago - Aug. 5, 1965 35 SWEET VALLEY GETS it : NEW PHONE SERVICE Public reation to the Common - E wealth Telephone Company's new” Direct Distance Dialing System that went into effect July 19 in'the Sweet Valley area, was greater than anticipated, J.N. Landis, District Manager said today. * He reported that 834 calls were placed in the first three days that DDD service was available to Sweet Valley customers. : Kickoff meeting for distribu-, tion of petitions for formation of Harveys Lake Borough is slated for tonight and an official of the Harveys Lake Executive Associa- tion told The Dallas Post all me- chanics for the drive have been set up and the operation is “ready to go.” After 15 years, the annual Lady of the Lake Beauty Contest has been discontinued. Difficulty in. finding contestants is said to be one of the reasons for discontinu- ing the event. 20 Years Ago - Aug. 7, 1975.1 HOSPITAL WON'T COME TO BACK MOUNTAIN Resident of the Back Mountain who have been wondering about the possibility of a hospital con- structed on the site along Rt: 118 need not wonder any longer. TH possibility of a fully-equipped hospital in the Back Mountain has been completely ruled out by representatives of the HEW Dept. Members of the Back Mountain Medical Center Committee -plan toc sclicit proposals from archi- tects and engineers for limited hosptial facilities to be erected. The facilities will be one of. three types, emergency care, primal” or custodial with emergency. ae
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers