a A +, - CEE ME EF on i NAUK 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, September 6, 1995 The Dallas Post - EDITORIALS No cause this year for Labor Day celebrations ..It’sironic that we're reporting during this Labor Day week on .. the demise of the local Native Textiles plant, and the trouble its ., closing has caused former employees. Ironic, though not ; unusual in today’s economy, when increased profitability is the ~~ Golden Fleece of corporate management, regardless of the ~~ human cost, and unions seem powerless to help their mem- -- bers, that is, when they even show concern for them. i* ' Native is a minor blip on the radar screen of corporate be ¢ ‘network news. But here in the Back Mountain, the greater America, and the dozens of people who lost their jobs pale in comparison to other events. That’s how it would sound on the ' Wyoming Valley or however you care to characterize our region, . nearly 100 jobs are hard to come by, especially ones that pay LL " as well as Native did. The workers there didn’t make fortunes, _ at least not in comparison to the executives who decide these things, but $9 an hour isn't easy to find here. Many of the former employees have families and are anxiously awaiting the end of their unemployment benefits, which will begin to run out ~~ next month. : “The folks who work for Chase and Chemical banks in New “York — 12,000 of them — face the same fate, as a merger - results in greater “efficiency,” better known as cost-cutting. Of course, one reason the costs must be cut is to pay for the ~ acquisition. The staff at The Times Leader is wondering if and ~ when their turn will come to make a contribution to the Disney ~ corporate bottomline, in the form of cutbacks or sale to another -e firm. And the list goes on. This isn't an anti-business diatribe, just a caution that our. system needs eager consumers even more than it needs more efficiency, and endless “downsizing” made necessary by the demands of high debt, which was created by acquisitions, will eventually hurt more than it helps. Unwise industry concen- tration doesn’t help either, but the Federal Trade Commission seems no to understand the difference between legitimate ~ combinations and those that simply afford new-found security _ for corporate titans. Avibrant economy is untenable if only a few people have good ~.. jobs and the rest are fodder for executive egos. When buying ~. power is concentrated, it is also limited. Native Textiles may not “«. be a prime example of the shortcomings of laissez-faire capital- ~ ism, but it is surely not an example of corporate responsibility, v-either. ATT Te a a a 3 TE A ED A MT TT A TS BE PE Te I ed Ea A a es | Publisher's notebook [aay 3 Backyard cornfield. JWI. : | John W. Johnson | 3 Ron Bartizek \ 5 We're just back from our third consecutive Labor Day ~ -weekend pilgrimage to Watkins Glen, New York. We started going there when I came home midday Saturday with all my work done, and said, “Let’s go somewhere for the weekend.” Charlotte had wanted to visit the glass museum in Corning, so that’s where we stayed in 1993. But after we drove to Watkins Glen and saw its charms, I vowed to stay there the next year. The area, at the southern end of Seneca Lake, is smaller and ~ less prosperous today than it was. 100 years ago, and has the slightly ragged edge of a fallen angel. But it's very relaxing — there aren't hordes of tourists swarming all around — and affords plenty of modern-day charms. One of my favorites is the thriving Finger Lakes wine industry, which has spawned several high-quality wineries on the hills that rise from the lakeshore, providing spectacular scenery and passable wine. We make it a point to arrive at Castel Grisch Saturdays at midday, so that we can have a wonderful lunch on the deck overlooking the lake. One of the newest outfits, Lamoreaux Landing, has just won “best white wine in the New World” at an international judging in Los Angeles. You may have guessed by now that wine is one of my hobbies (maybe the only one at the moment, with two small children in the house). My quest, though, is not to procure the most exotic or expensive bottle, but to find the best inexpensive wine for everyday drinking. That task is made considerably harder by the paucity of choices in our wine shop; I can find a much wider selection in the wine specialty shop in Clarks Summit, or, of course, at most any store out of state. I'm biased, but I think the state store system is an archaic monstrosity that deprives the citizens of Pennsylvania the opportunity to sample wines and liquors to their liking. I _--- C is .,. I... AAU YE I Do you agree? Disagree? Editorials are the opinion of the management of The Dallas Post, and are written by the editor unless otherwise indicated. 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 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Peggy Young Grace R. Dove ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC REPORTER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Paul Rismiller PRODUCTION MANAGER Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ) PRINTED WITH SOY INK ASSOCIATION De? By the time many of the chil- dren whose parents are reading this column are ready to assume leadership roles in this country, there will be a stark change in how we view ourselves. The entire history of this nation has seen only one definition for the terms majority and minority; majority has meant white, and minority has meant (most often) black. By sometime early in the 21st century (most demographers pick the year 2020), white Americans will likely become the minority in this country, and blacks, with the addition of Asians and Hispanics, will constitute a majority of those living here. (Whether many among those three groups were here le- gally to begin with is the subject of another column). Pointing this shift out is obvi- ously not designed to promote the race baiters and haters of every stripe; rather it is noted so that political realities can be addressed by those currently in power (much the same as is currently being done in South Africa) and, there- fore, to provide for an orderly shift and sharing of that power. One of the many ways this can be done was addressed by our neighbors to the immediate south. In September of this year, the Allentown City Council voted to declare English the city’s official language, and asked the city administration to issue most documents in English. Predictably, many of Allen- town’s more than 12,000 Spanish speaking residents (egged on by power hungry race baiters) took this as a personal affront, declar- ‘ing themselves to be yet another in a long line of new (but, heaven forbid, no less important) official abuse victims. Council President Ernest Toth said that “to preserve unity in diversity and to prevent division LIBRARY NEWS ~~ By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library and I suffered a great loss with the passing of Mrs. Florence Tremayne Crump on Saturday, Aug. 19. It was 28 years ago this month when I met Mrs. Crump at the Fall Fair and she suggested I come to work at the library in the children’s department; as the children’s librarian was retiring. I said, ‘I don't think so, I cannot imagine me working in a library’. However, I interviewed with Sue Davern, the librarian at the time, and started my library career in the children’s building. After two years, Fran Rinehart, assistant to Sue, was leaving; so Sue offered me that position. I have enjoyed the library and the work involved lhrough the years. Mrs. Crump served as my mentor all through those years; Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. English should be made our official national language along linguistic lines, we should maintain a language common to all people.” : Contrary to protests from most of Allentown's (mostly) recent Spanish immigrants, English is ~ the most widely used and spoken language in the world...by far. And to prevent division along linguistic lines is precisely why, not only Allentown, but the Fed- eral government as well, ought to make English the country’s offi- cial language. As the former Soviet Union has discovered, totalitarianism can- not keep an unwilling people to- gether forever. Likewise, coun- tries divided by language also find hot water being poured on the social glue. Our republican democracy encourages both diversity and aggressive individual action within a common framework and through common points of reference, i.e., our own Bill of Rights. But with- out a common language to allow both diversity and aggressive individual actions to be: under- stood and shared, it's likely that our nation would have gone . through many civil wars in its history, and would not now oc- cupy its premier position as leader of the world. : And that the language was (and should remain) English requires no apology. English speaking persons founded, and, for the most part, preserved this nation. Aside from the pressures to change the language brought about by the simple numbers of now minority persons soon to become the majority, English is threatened currently from atleast two other sources. —continued governmental emphasis on citizen participation in government by persons who don’t speak English, (and many of whom can't read or write). —and a governmentally encour- aged proliferation of both radio . and cable TV stations which cater to primarily ethnic audiences. Largely through Washington ivory tower thinking, and its pri- marily Democratically controlled Congress over the past 20 years, has come the misguided notion that cultural differences, particu- larly in language, ought not to be assimilated, butrather cultivated. This notion is dead wrong. And to the contrary, the Eng- lish language has long been the unifying force in America, and should be its only official lan- guage. Bilingual education should be a transitional process only in our schools. : We should be seeking to pre- serve, not destroy, the degree of unity which this melting pot na- tion has achieved. The kind of crisis developing—with the in- creased polarization among varous ethnic groups and minori- ties—was what skeptics of our republican democracy predicted in the late 1700's. But for over 200 years, the U.S. has main- tained sufficient unity to make for orderly, stable government. Fact is, for many immigrants, the idea of becoming American only became real when they be- gan dreaming in English. Immigrants coming to this land took it upon themselves to learn the language—and wanted tolearn it. ‘They also wanted their chil- dren to learn it, and to be Ameri- cans, not hyphenated Americans. That English is our dominant language is not something for which we should apologize. That was an accident of history. But the continued polarization among varous ethnic groups will not accidentally cause anything; it will almost certainly result in separate nations among one na- tion, bringing with it all the prob- lems and conflicts inherent in that fractionalization. Only an official language; that is, an accepted language, enables everyone to completely under- stand the nation's laws, history freedom and traditions, all of which are necessary toward the preservation of individual free- doms and our republican democ- racy. Families should encourage cultural awareness and language differences at home. But we should have official English now...in the City of Allentown, in all northeast Pennsylvania and in these United States. Treasured memories of a tireless library stalwart correcting spelling and grammar whenever she found an error. I would take her to book sales; Wyoming Seminary, Scranton Public and others and she would hunt for just the perfect books to bring back to Back Mountain for the auction book booth. She began the Book Club and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of it. The Monday afternoon meetings and tea became a cherished time for her. She loved to go out for dinner and would ask me to drive and she would pay for dinner. Charlie Brown's was one of her favorite places and we went there many times. We celebrated her 99th birth- day on December 2nd, 1993 with a great birthday party at the Meadows with family and friends. On Sept. 19, 1994, she suffered a stroke while at Meadows Nursing Center and never regained her speech. Her 100th birthday in 1994 was celebrted in her room at the Meadows with close friends visiting, just to be with her. Since .she suffered the stroke, 1 would stop in every other week and spend time with her in her room and remember the many good times we shared. She was a great li- brary supporter and a library auction lover plus a super friend for many years. New books at the library: “The Shadow Man” by John Katzen- bach is a fast-paced and edge-of- the-seat suspense story, with a villain as monstrous as evil itself. Few saw his face; none knew his name. In whispered circles he was known only as a merciless, ‘catcher’ for the Nazis. He was in the darkness waiting when they came for you and would be there, smiling, when the trains took you away in the morning gloom to Auschwitz. “Where the Heart” by Billie Letts is the story of Novalee Nation who has always been unlucky with sevens. She's seventeen, seven months pregnant, thirty-seven pounds over-weight—and now finds herself stranded in a Wal- Mart in Sequoyah, Oklahoma with just $7.77 in change. She must face the truth; her boyfriend has left her with empty dreams. ONLY "YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - Sept. 13, 1935 | BORO MULLS HIGH SCHOOL ADDITION Preliminary plans for a 6-room addition to Dallas Borough High School building were studied by, local school directors at a meeting Monday evening. Another special meeting will be held September 27 to further consider the plans which the architect has submit- ted. te Faced with threat of an un- American political dictatorship, Dallas voters will turn in tremen- dous pluralities on Tuesday for 1) 3 L] i i are opposed to the present. Re- publican leadership in Luzerne local and county candidates who &$ @ County. Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: the vote will be a record-breaking one here. At - no time in recent years has a primary election been as hotly contested as the one which will come to its climax on Tuesday. 50 Years Ago - Sept. 14, 1945 © COLLEGE HAS RECORD FRESHMAN CLASS College Misericordia beganithe 1945/46 school year Wednésday with 100 girls in the largst fresh- man class in its 22-year history. With the increased enrollment, the College has leased the Wallo property on Huntsville Road, now known as St. Joseph's Manor, in §} addition to the Villa Misericordia on the Baur estate, Machell Ave. About 40 students and faculty members will be housed in the two buildings with transportation provided to and from the campus. Earl D. MacCollum ofWilkes- Barre has applied to the PUC for the right to transport passengers by boat around Harveys Lake ona Co -— 4 designated schedule with regular; 0 4 stops, including Sunset, Sandy Beach, Warden Place and the Picnic Ground. The service would be chiefly for the accommodation of cottages with suitable landing places. 40 Years Ago - Sept. 9, 1955 : BORO RESIDENTS MUST INSTALL SIDEWALKS ° Dallas Borough Council at its 4 J meeting Tuesday instructed So- licitor Roscoe B. Smith to inform property owners on lower Church Street and lower Machell Avenue that they must install sidewalks or the work will be done by bor- ough employed contractors and the costs filed as liens against the properties. 1 A widespread rumor that there may be a case of typhoid in the '¢) areawas proved groundless when Dr. Malcolm Borthwick stated Thursday that tests had proved negative and that Anthony Christ, Franklin St., Shavertown, did not have typhoid fever. You could get - Rump veal roast, 49¢ 1b.; gr. beef, 3 Ibs. /$1; cauli- flower, 29¢ ea.; prunes, 3 Ibs./ 29¢; rye bread, 2 Ivs. 29¢. ~ 0 30 Years Ago - Sept. 9, 1965 LAKE TWP. MUST CLOSE ITS RTE. 29 OPEN DUMP PA. Department of Health or- dered Lake Township to close its open dump on Route 29 by Sept. 15, according to a letter read at the Board of Supervisor meeting Saturday. At the same time super- visors reserved decision in admit- ting the legality of the proposed Yatsko landfill on the western edge of the township. : Kids got an extra day vacation over their teachers as usual with the faculty putting in its first day Tuesday at the traditional Gen- eral Teachers Meeting in Dallas _ High School auditorium. New fac- ulty members were introduced and | Rotary Exchange students spoke about their experiences abroad. The Fall Fairand Fashion Show will be held Sept. 10, 11, and12 at Lehman Horse Show Grounds. A variety of entertainment will be featured. More and more itis developing into an all-around attraction, which may well en- courage visitors coming to this area. i 5 20 Years Ago - Sept. 11, 1975 PRISON DENIES RUMORS. OF ESCAPED INMATES | Despite a rumored prison break by two inmates at the State Cor- rectional Institute at Dallas Tues- day, a prison spokesman assured The Post "everyone is here that is supposed to be" late Tuesday af- ternoon. "We've had no escape, that's just a rumor." Pu $9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers