4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, February 28, 1996 | EDITORIALS 3traffic lights in hand better than 5 in the bush ; In an age of diminished expectations, we should probably be satisfied that the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has committed to upgrading five intersections and installing traffic signals at three of them this spring and summer. The department announced Feb. 15 that it had awarded a contract forthe work, which is expected to begin soon. The three signals — on Route 309 at Franklin Street in Shavertown and at Main Street at Offset Paperback, and on Route 415 at Center Hill Road — will provide welcome relief to motorists frustrated by waiting several minutes to enter the highway, or tempted to risk a collision in order to cross to the other side. The other projects, on Route 309 at Center Street and at Pioneer Avenue, will be less extensive, confined to improvements at intersections that already have signals. Three other segments of what was an overall plan for the “mini-interstate” that runs through the Back Mountain have been put on hold indefinitely. It's probably no coincidence they are the most extensive — and expensive — parts of the program. Each time the highway has been upgraded, and there have been many times, the result has been improved safety and convenience. That is likely to be true again, as the new signals will stand at intersections that have often been the site of accidents from fender benders to fatalities. The frequency and severity of accidents declined noticeably when the center turning lane was added, and the addition of signals and right- turn lanes should virtually end their tenure as trouble spots. ‘It has become fashionable to kick and scream when the end result of a project, particularly if it involves government, comes up short, but we'll refrain from that behavior. We would have liked to see the whole project completed by now, and we surely will see it happen at some point in the future. But we’ll take what we can get, knowing full well that many other projects have fallen completely off the table in the state’s new plans for highway work. Keep up with the Scouts; learn about your town ‘Five Boy Scouts from Troop 693 now know more about their local government than most voting-age residents of Harveys Lake. They attended the borough council's February meeting, and had their eyes opened to the complexity of the task facing local officials. “There's a lot more to running a borough than I thought,” said Brian Balla. He's right, and there's more to it than most people of any age realize. Most local officials serve with little or no financial incentive ie to do so. And most are driven by at least as many good motives as selfish ones, despite the widespread perception otherwise. Sadly, most citizens have never attended a meeting of their tewn government, and probably don’t know even the names of the men and women who make decisions that will affect them. Try to be like! the Boy Scouts; take the time to attend a meeting of your town’s government, and not just when you have a bone to pick. What takes place there is likely to have fe more impact on your life and property than state and national ~~ politics put together, and you have far more influence over it, Le Ho. Publisher s notebook ae ‘eT ew eve Eww ow af Ron Bartizek + The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the state of North Carolina's tax on stock in out-of-state corpora- tioris owned by state residents discriminates against interstate commerce. As a result, hundreds of thousands of investors may be able to get refunds from the state. To me, this sounds like the same tax Luzerne County has applied to financial assets held in out-of-state investments, and means the end of that misguided levy. * This is one of the few issues which I and former county commissioner Jim Phillips agree on. He tried [or years to have the tax, which is more of a nuisance than anything else. rérhoved from the county's books, but was always defeated by a; Democrat majority. The same mix of parties still sits in the commissioners’ offices, but il they have any sense they'll immediately revoke the “personal properly tax,” for good. “Discriminatory taxes, like tariffs, may have made financial sense at one time, when most businesses confined their operations to a limited area. That is no longer the case, especially for the most popular stock investments. A company like Mellon Bank, for instance, is headquartered in Pennsylva- nid ‘but has a nationwide customer base. Conversely, First Valley Bank is owned by UJB Financial of New Jersey, and il you! once owned stock in ils predecessors, you now owe Luzerne County tax on it. of course, the commissioners could wait until Luzerne County's tax is challenged in court, followed by massive a plications for refunds. 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 s PRODUCTION MANAGER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER EA REL ARAS RAITT RE AE SE E eee eT ttm - www a SE - LA man, 1 7 2) PRINTED WITH NIN ¢ PENNSYDVANIA =7I|SOVINK] PACS aa NEWSPAPER 5 No picnics yet, at Frances Slocum Park. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. ~~ LETTERS New Westmoreland School is best choice Editor: I attended a meeting at the Westmoreland Elementary School recently and felt compelled to try and reach out to the residents, school board members and the faculty and staff of the Dallas School District. The meeting was held for the faculty and PTO board members of both elementary schools to listen to and question the Superintendent and a repre- sentative of the architectural firm chosen todo a feasibility study on the future of the Westmoreland Elementary School. As the parent of a fourth grader and a first grader, I have seen the quality of the Dallas School Dis- trict Elementary program and the dedication of its staff. For five years, I questioned the adequacy of the Westmoreland facility and was told it had a short life expect- ancy. I have also watched as a group of parents and students succeeded in bringing a competi- tive swimming and diving pro- gram to the Dallas High School, without a pool. Therefore, 1 have learned that education encom- passes more than a building, a classroom, and a teacher. At the meeting Monday night, I heard our Superintendent say we would “never” see a swimming pool in the Dallas School District. If there is one word that I would hope an educator would not use, it is the word “never”. As an ac- countant, I know how much it would cost to build and maintain a swimming pool. But as a life- guard and swim instructor, I also know the benefits of swimming and water safety. I believe that the Dallas School Board should look ahead and plan to do more to improve the quality of life for all its residents. We should strive to provide the best facilities possible to meet the needs of the students and citizens of the Dallas School District. It will take the support of the entire community to build a facil- ity that will meet the needs of the next century. The Dallas School District has the opportunity and the resources to make a differ- ence. Let us build a new (K-5) elementary school that will serve as a center for our community. It will be a standard to be improved upon when the Dallas Elemen- tary School approaches its “life expectancy.” And, who knows, maybe we will have a pool at the Dallas Middle School some day! It could happen! Mrs. Karen Z. Kyle, CPA Wyoming, PA Indians denounce convicted child molester Editor: As the area's resident Iroquois Elder it is my responsibility to notify the community that the Native nations have turned our backs on David Smith, a.k.a. “Two Wolves,” and have cast him out from our people as long as the grass grows, the water flows and Grandfather Tree gives us the air we breathe. Mr. Smith's actions during the alleged purification ceremony have not only caused tremendous grief to the young victim and her LIBRARY By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library is showing a collection of Little People borrowed (rom Danielle Zarambo of Dallas. Danielle is in fifth grade at Dallas Elementary School. She is 11 years old and has been collecting these ‘little pecple’ since she was six. The display includes the ‘little people’ and furniture and equip- ment. There is a large house in the center of the display with a tree house between. Other items in the display in- clude a drive-in theatre, a gas station, barber shop, a boat, an activity table, a traffic light, school bus, 2 dump trucks, a jump rope set, a merry-go-round, mail truck, airplane with pilot, dog in a trash can on porch of the house, a stop sign, baby in a play pen on the porch of the house, a car in the family, but also have resulted in the persecution of the local Na- tive community. Mr. Smith be- haved in a manner that is not consistent with either Traditional teachings or the ethics of profes- sional Native medicine societies, who follow the same code of ethics as do all ministers and doctors. . The alleged ceremony which he performed should have been done by someone with the Native titles of Grandmother, Medicine Woman or Female Keeper of the Faith, in a Medicine Lodge or Sweat Lodge with the child's mother present. There are no exceptions. I ask the community not to judge the rest of us by Mr. Smith's behavior. | hope with this letter to see peace and brotherhood planted in both the Native and non-Native communities. It is our express desire as Native people to see all the children of the Great Spirit and Mother Earth walk to- gether in harmony and beauty. Sleeping Bear, Iroquois Elder Harveys Lake Little People collection is on display at the library garage, people sitting in the house on chairs, 2 sleeping beds, 4 people eating at the table, 2 firemen and worker, a stroller with children, someone talking on the phone, children watching a movie in their vehicles, a horse, 3 cars in the park, a basketball game, a swim- ming pool with 2 children. There are many other ‘little people’ all over the scene doing various fun things. These Little People collectors items have been enjoyed by children throughout the years and they will be at the library until March 20 for further enjoyment. New books at the library: “And This Too Shall Pass” by E. Lynn Harris is the story of a stellar quarterback, an ambitious sports- caster and what happens when rising stars collide. The story takes us into the locker rooms and newsrooms of Chicago, where four lives are about to intersect in romance and scandal. At the heart is the celibate Zurich, a rookie quarterback whose (rajec- tory for superstardom is inter- rupted by a sexual assault charge by Mia, a sportscaster with her own sights on fame. Zurich hires Tamela, a high-powered attorney to defend him, while Sean, a gay, covers the story and uncovers his heart. “Lord of the Dead” by Tom Hol- land is the story of the secret history of Byron. The famed 19th century romantic poet and rake, Lord Byron, comes lo life with incendiary brilliance in this spell- binding novel; which blazes across the contemporary fiction scene with all the hypnotic power of hauntingly authentic settings. Byron, while wandering with his friend Hobhouse in the moun- tains of Greece is drawn to the beauty of a mysterious fugitive slave whose pale, slim body and burning, black-fringed eyes arouse his lust. Soon, he is ut- terly entranced and his fate is sealed. He becomes the world's most formidable vampires. ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - Mar. 6, 1936 . PRESSES DON'T MAKE ~~ STATIC ON RADIOS On at least three occasions during the last two weeks, The" Post proved to the satisfaction of irate complainants that radio in- terference which has bothered sets in local homes recently is not caused by machinery at The Post." Several years ago The Post! equipped its machinery with de- vices intended to stop intererence. Last year a thorough survey by an: engineer from Luzerne County Gas & Electric Co. indicated there was" no interference but as a safeguard The Post went to additional ex-- pense to prevent noise on neigh: . boring sets. 50 Years Ago - March 8, 1946 NEW UNEMPLOYMENT -. OFFICE OPENS INAREA' Confident that the future is. bright for the Back Mountain re- . gion and that the 15,000 people. living in this area are entitled to. the convenience of a centrally lo- cated office, the U.S. Employment Service, which also administers. Pennsylvania Unemployment al- lowances, will open an office in Dallas Borough Building, Mill | Street, Dallas, March 18. . | Volunteers in the Back Moun- | tain Region have reported more than $800 collected in the drive | for funds to purchase grounds for a Veterans Hospital in Wilkes- Barre. Since several organiza- tions will give and Dallas Borough | totals are still incomplete, it is ! expected that contributions will exceed $1,000. Your could get - Legs lab, 37¢ Ib.: rib roast 30¢ lb.: new" potatoes, 4 lbs., 25¢; brocolli, 1g. bnch. 19¢; Ig. eggs 45¢ doz. 40 Years Ago - Mar. 2, 1956. RED CROSS HAS RECORD BLOOD DRIVE INAREA Red Cross Bloodmobile col: lected 168 pints last Friday at Dallas Borough School. At6 p.m., the announced closing time, 40 prospective donors were still: awaiting service and Dr. Bell from Wilkes-Barre Blood Bank heaquarters was called upon in’ the emergency to handle the load, * when local doctors had to leave for their evening office hours. The fourth and final attempt'{o © organize Back Mountain Teen Age Baseball League will be held Mon- day evening at The Dallas Post," Lehman Ave. At previous meet-’ ings, only three of last year’s six’ teams were represented. hoped at least a representative from Noxen, Jackson or Dallas. It is! will be present at this meeting,’ The officers will then attempt to form a four league team. Parents’ and officials believe the Teen Age: [League is a polent weapon against juvenile delinquency and deserves the support of all Back Mountain communities. J 30 Years Ago - Mar. 3, 1966 DAVIS WINS PRIZE IN PB.A. OPEN AT VEGAS Dave Davis, formerly of Sweet Valley, won a prize of $4,000 for bowling in the PBA Open, finals’ and semi-finals in Las Vegas. Davis, a national bowling cham- pion last year came in second in’ - the PBA missing, first place by a mere seven pins. The champ is a | graduate of Lake-Lehman High School. Three 1966 District 2 Wres- . tling crowns were won by Back | Mountain matmen Saturday - evening in the Wyoming Valley Tournament at Wilkes College. : Steve Kaschenbach and Mark | Dymond won titles for Dallas:Se- * nior High School and Walt (Chip) Sorber brought home a vic tory to Lake-Lehman. 20 Years Ago - Mar. 4, 1976 TAXPAYERS FIGHT UTILITY RATE HIKE Dr. F. Budd Schooley, Back Mountain Taxpayers Assn., the Post that the association has filed a protest with Public Utility Commission on the proposed rate . increase by UGI the company that | told © provides service to consumers on | the west side of the river.and throughout the Back Mountain, He also stated that he and ether members of the association.were trying to obtain cooperation of local representatives and sena- tors in Harrisburg to pass legisla- tion to protect consumers affected | by constant utility rate increases. ! » - 2
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers