4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, March 6, 1996 § wey EDITORIALS Teachers wrong to reject King's students + The Dallas Education Association — the teachers’ union — “is way out of line in its attempt to shut student teachers from ‘King’s College out of the Dallas School District. While not acting alone, the DEA jumped the gun on its companion unions in Luzerne County by excluding three would-be teachers from doing their practice teaching at Westmoreland Elementary School last month. Not only is their action abhorrent, it is based on faulty reasoning. Union leaders of the Pennsylvania State Education Associa- tion in the county decided to block King’s seniors from the district’s classrooms starting this fall. According to DEA presi- dent William Wagner, the action was taken in response to a tuition-credit program that King's will put into effect with the fall ‘96 semester. Under that program, incoming King's stu- dents who graduated from parochial schools within the Scranton diocese will receive a dollar-for-dollar credit towards King’s tuition equal to the money they spent in high school tuition. - Wagner characterizes this as “King’s form of the voucher system,” a concept vehemently opposed by the teachers’ union. In pure financial terms, there may be some resemblance to the voucher idea, but Wagner incorrectly takes the issue one step further when he claims the plan amounts to an open-admis- sions policy for Catholic school graduates. He's just plain wrong on that count, according to King's officials, and by any application of common sense. Think about it; if King's wanted to favor parochial school graduates, they would be doing so now. They surely wouldn't want to add more discount-priced students who aren't qualified for admission. As for financial preference, the King's program undeniably leans to parochial school graduates, and it is certainly their prerogative to do so. If the union is so concerned about fiscal fairness, it should also demand that parents of private school ~ students be made exempt from taxes that support the public schools, particularly if any of those children eventually want to become teachers, and are to be excluded from practice teaching here. - Itis astonishing and saddening that a teachers’ organization ‘would exclude qualified new associates from their classrooms. One would think its members would instead devote their energies to helping develop the best possible teachers, no matter where they come from. The Dallas Education Association and its parent organiza- tion should rescind this wrongheaded policy before it takes effect. As long as it stands, it is a glaring example of why public education has such a poor image — much of it undeserved but self-inflicted by the very people who should be working to earn back the respect they have lost. Publisher's notebook ~ Call Pat Buchanan a racist, call him a savior, call him anything you like ... just don't call him a journalist (n. a person employed in writing for a newspaper or magazine*). And, don’t call me one either. Buchanan went from penning partisan speeches for Richard Nixon to shouting tirades at Michael Kinsley on Crossfire, but to my knowledge hasn't spent any significant time researching and writing news. And it shows. His standard stump speech would do any demagogue (n. a leader or agitator who wins support by appealing to people's feelings and prejudices rather than reasoning*) proud. Of course, Buchanan is most frequently given the journalist title by talking heads on television, who themselves barely qualify. Yes, Pat also wrote a column published in some papers, but that isn’t the same as working at news — in fact, it hardly differed from campaigning. As for me, I think the term “journalist” is used so loosely that it has lost whatever meaning it might have once held. With radio talkers and anyone who has ever put pen to paper claiming the designation, I'd rather be known by the old- fashioned tag, “newspaperman.” I'll leave it up to you to name the other gender. * Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press. President Clinton leaped onto the school uniform band wagon last week with a ringing endorsement based on the purported experience of the Long Beach, CA schools. Parents and administrators there impute the adoption of uniforms with reduced violence, better discipline, more respectful behavior and higher scores. The uniforms may have even reduced cavities, given the list of credits they're given. I've been an advocated of school uniforms and/or tighter dress codes for some time, but don’t have any illusions they would cure all ills. I do think uniforms would eliminate clothing envy as a distrac- tion, and would send the signal that school isn't like every- where else, it’s a place with its own emphasis and importance. Oops! In my zeal to alert the world to the voiding of the “personal property tax” on out-of-state stocks by the Supreme Court, I used a false example. Bill Runner, who with his background as a stock broker and banker ought to know, called to say that shares held in banks — no matter where headquartered — are exempt from the tax. And he said there's a long list of companies which are also exempt because they | have substantial operations in Pennsylvania. I stand cor- rected, but I still think it’s an unfair tax. 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 i Peggy Young ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Paul Rismiller PRODUCTION MANAGER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER 2) PRINTED WITH NUN PENNSYLVANIA SOY INK NATIONDY ewsespen NEWSPAPER Snow ponies, now just a memory. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS Girl Scouts mark 84th anniversary this week Editor: March 12 will mark the 84th anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States. Thousands of Girl Scouts in Penn's Woods Coun- cil will celebrate the occasion with mall shows and Girl Scout Sun- day Services in the houses of wor- ship of many denominations. Gir! Scout Week is an annual commemoration of the beginning of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States. On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low met with 18 girls in Savannah, Geor- gia, and formed the first Girl Scout troop. Itis an opportunity for girls to celebrate being part of the world’s largest voluntary organi- zation for girls. They share their enthusiasm with their communi- ties. As the largest voluntary orga- Ghostwriter by Paul Rismiller The '96 Primary season has just begun and already the Republican candidates are acting like cats ina sack. Behaving, as a matter of fact, like a gaggle of Democratic presi- dential hopefuls. How refreshing! Phil "Deputy Dawg" Gramm, as I predicted, was an early casualty. Steve Forbes hasn't actually been able to buy any primaries, which is good. His opponents have been badmouthing his Flat Tax proposal as screwy, which is bad. Bob Dole, whose campaign seems to be based entirely on the notion that its his turn dammit, isn't going to bow out gracefully and give someone with a actual chance of beating Clinton, like Forbes or Alexander, a leg up. Which brings us to the joker - Pat Buchanan. The Mainstream press and Bill Clinton have been highly amused by the success of the Buchanan cam- paign, and licking their chops at the thought of Pat ac- tually winning the G.O.P. nod. While I think this highly unlikely, it is nonetheless pos- sible, and not nearly as alarming as the talking heads and Pat's oppo- nents would have you believe. Pat Buchanan, whose major qualification for be- ing president is a gift for gratingon ern Civilization, Europe is now best various nerves, including mine, nization for girls in the world, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. is in a unique position to address urgent soci- etal issues such as poor health habits and lack of fitness among young people. Studies showing that girls’ self-esteem and partici- pation in sports drop sharply in adolescence, point out the need for action to help girls feel more confidence. Contemporary Issues books give leaders and girls the tools they need to learn to make good decisions for life. As the world changes and be- comes more complex, Girl Scout- ing moves with the times. The organization continues to find new ways to help girls ‘and young women develop a sense of values and make meaningful contribu- tions to society. The Council theme for this year, “Reach for the Stars” has been the impetus to show girls how to strive to “Be Your Best" in service projects and troop activities. The all-girl experience of Girl Scouting offers an opportunity for girls to be leaders. It provides an environment — maybe the only such environment a girl will en- counter during her formative years — where the sole focus is to meet the special needs of girls from all walks of life and from every racial, ethnic and religious group. Penn's Woods Girl Scout Coun- cil serves some 6,200 girls in Luzerne, Schuylkill and Colum- bia Counties, and parts of Car- bon, Northumberland and Wyo- ming Counties. : 3 Ellie Kandler Rodda Penn's Girl Scout Council Politics and other stupidity does address legitimate concerns, and not all of his followers are half- brained yahoos. Of course, there is a large pro- portion of true believers in the Buchanan Brigades, and if you're not foursquare for Pat, you're no friend of theirs. Lord, protect us from true be- lievers! Pat's solutions to America's problems, high tariffs and limited immigration, are wrongheaded, and with the flat tax being slammed, this leaves all the good issues to be stolen by Clinton. There are two good reasons to cheer Pat on, however. One is the collective screech we would expect from across the pond if he were elected. The European press has been filled with dire warnings. I don't understand what they're whining about, it gives them an excuse to indulge in their favorite pasttime - Anti-American rants. The OFFICIAL Ghostwriter Political Spectrum & Secret Decoder LIBERALS 2 Big Labor (LeaderamD) Cowboys PEACENIKS Welfare State Godzilla Trekkers Godless 7 UOY DAN A3AQ THI2 UOY U33da A JI”?3! While once the cradle of West- known for incomprehensible elec- 1s1ose4 uepoy . s9llyd-X CRIIETIT VEE): Tole fog) CETVIR ZC ES ol) [(o [ITEF Le (TTT) M8 ToT o |= WoT | s19]991S S1-EDNe]}] HVM trical outlets, driving on the wrong side of the road, and being de- fended by US! Pat Buchanan may be a Neanderthal, but he's OUR knuckle-dragger. And look at various world lead- ers: Saddam Hussein, who wel- comed his prodigal sons-in-law back home with open arms and a pistol behind his back; "Mad Mo" Quadhaffy, rubbing elbows with and lining the pockets of racist rock-head Louis Farrakhan; even Yassir Arafat is a legitimate head of state, by God - at least until he really cheeses off the Israelis. Among these and other Stalinist Sociopaths and Pocket Hitlers, Pat won't even stand out in the crowd. Which brings me to my very own political spectrum - I find the lin- ear kind far too limiting - and as you can see, my spectrum can include all sorts of things, not just politicians and organizations. Like most individuals, America's only masked jour- nalist frequently finds himself on both sides of the coin. For example, Iam both a Trekker and an X-Phile. This dichotomy is no doubt balanced out by the fact that li'am a. recent MSTie, and a Whovian of long standing. To use the Ghost Spectrum as a de- coder: 1) Cut it out neatly 2) Mount it on a piece of card- board with ‘a thumbtack 3) Spin vigorously 4) Stare atitawhile, and you might be able to decipher the secret message beneath it. You may also be able to fathom poli- tics. If so, please call or write. On second thought, don't. I'd really rather not know that il's all a vast conspiracy in- volving Alien Greys and the Illuminati. It's probably just one of the Almighty's little practical jokes. ONLY YESTERDAY ND 60 Years Ago - Mar. 131936 GENERAL STORE BURNS, FIRETRUCK VANDALIZED Acting promptly to prevent a recurrence of Tuesday's disaster when a paper plate stuffed in the suction pipe of the Trucksyville fire engine forced firemen to stand by while Arch Woolbert's general store was destroyed, members of the fire company Wednesday night decided to keep thier hose house locked until a definite policy with regard to public functions in the building can be adopted. A large audience enjoyed. the colorful performance given by nearly 300 pupils of the .Dallas Borough schools, at a three-part program in the high school audi- torium. Receipts from the enter- tainment will be used to liquidate an athletic fund deficit and it was reported that a sizable fund for that purpose was raised through admissions. es 50 Years Ago - Mar. 15,1946 - DALLAS CORNERSTO 7 | GET TRAFFIC LIGHTS ' ~«« Dallas Borough Council at its meeting Tuesday evening autho: rized its street committee to’ pur chase traffic lights suitable to handle the traffic situation at the 5-way intersection on Main Street, Council will erect the light with or without State Highway Depart: ment approval. Three weeks of canvassing ‘has netted Kingston Township Veter- ans Association more than $1,800 for the purchase of its building; the former Kelly Funeral Home, Main Road, which it has occupied since it was vacated last year by the Teen-Age Center. President Theodore Poad expressed, satis- faction with the drive's Success jr saying he is sure that the, goal of $3,000 needed to buy the build- ing will be met by the end of the year. “The Major and the Minor”, star- ring Ray Milland and ‘Ginger Rogers now playing at the ‘Shaver Theatre. ; " A 40 Years \o - Mar. y pr SPEED LIMITS POSTED ONTWO BORO STREETS . State Department of Highways has approved a 35-mile speed limit on Lake and Main Streets, but has turned down a similar appeal for a 35-mile speed limit of Routes 309, 415 and 115 in Dallas Bor: ough. Secretary Robert Brown read the communication from the Department, which also, stated the Borough must erect speed limit signs and enforce the re- strictions rigidly or the old 50- mile speed limit will be restored. Dr. Robert Bodycomb made a plea for remedial reading on all age levels at Monday's Westmoreland jointure ~board meeting, holding that reading-and spelling techniques were not so deeply implanted in children of | today as in former years and graduates are handicapped. 30 Years Ago - Mar. 10, 1966 - ICE FISHING SHANTIES MUST BE REGISTERED Lake Township Board of Su- pervisors passed an ordinance strictly regulating ice fishing'shan* ties and litter at their meeting | Friday evening. The ordinarice demands registration by any party who wishes to build or use ’a shanty for ice fishing: ' “'™ Dallas School District will lose one of its most valuable and popu- lar faculty members with the res- ignation of George McCutcheon director of guidance, effective June 30. McCutcheon is leaving the local schools to enter the ‘iridus: trial field as a personnel dirpciop for U.G.L Tragedy in Jackson; “Miss 4 reached out a long finger to touch Chase when a tornado killed the daughter and seven-year-old grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William Hughes and injured two others last Thursday. p 20 Years Ago - Mar. 11, 1976 LEHMAN GETS GRANT FOR STREET PAVING Lehman Township Supervisors received official notification’ of approval of a $27,500 block grarit to the township during their regu- lar monthly meeting. The funds will be used for road improve- ments, primarily resurfacing. Among roads being considered is Old Route 115, which passes Lake-Lehman High School... hi » i * * th 3 R @ / bY 4 ; P» A 9 OR a Xk 0 |
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers