; 4. The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 24, 1996 LL, CEE— (EE IE a LE I I HEDITORIALS Westmoreland community “demonstrates commitment Westmoreland Elementary School parents, students and teachers are working hard to provide living proof of their contention that smaller schools are better schools, and last. week's School Spirit Day poster contest offered a fine illustra- tion of their claim. Dozens of students submitted poems, posters and drawings that sang the praises of the school, its teachers and its connection to the community. It was an impressive display. The Dallas school board is exploring options for the 450 or so students in grades K-5 at Westmoreland, and the least attractive in purely financial terms is to maintain the facility in Shavertown. Engineering studies — and a state reimburse- ment system that rewards new construction over maintenance — combine to make an addition on either the Dallas Elemen- tary or Middle schools more attractive on first glance. But those dry statistics don’t capture the lifeblood of an effective commu- nity institution, or put down on paper the distinct advantages a close-knit school setting offers. Today's emphasis on strict financial accountability isn’t the ~ best setting in which to trumpet the subjective advantages of aneighborhood school. To their credit, Westmoreland support- ers are backing their argument with statistics of their own, which show small schools lead to better student performance. Still, it’s hard to ignore the more humane argument that a school with a scale closer to its students lives is a logical alternative to factory-size structures. The Dallas school board has more than Westmoreland to consider as it plans next year's budget and beyond, and other constituencies will ask that their concerns be addressed as well. That's why it is important for Westmoreland’'s champions to keep showing the vitality so evident at last week's event, if they hope to have any chance to save their school. Flower show displays Back Mountain talent, dedication Until four years ago, unless you were a flower and landscape devotee you might never have heard of the Back Mountain Bloomers. The local garden club operated quietly, lending advice and assistance to members and others who were intrigued with flora, with notices seldom appearing in anything but their own publications. All that changed in 1993, when the club pulled its resources together and put on its first Northeast Pennsylvania Flower Show. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. This industrious group of floral enthusiasts will present the fourth edition of the show this weekend at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Kingston. Led by Linda Thoma, club presi- dent, and Lora Marcolina Freifeld, who chairs the show, members have put together the second largest flower show in the state, and created a winner of the prestigious National Flower Show Achievement Award. More important, the event showcases the club’s goals to promote knowledge of horticul- ture, design and conservation and preservation of natural resources. The show, which is sanctioned by the Garden Club Federa- tion of Pennsylvania, shines a spotlight on amateur and professional talent, and is sure to provide stimulation to anyone who takes the time to browse through the extensive exhibits. There's another benefit in attending; all proceeds benefit the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, which sponsors the show. Once again, Back Mountain folks are doing good things for the entire region, and their hard work is worth a look from anyone who is tantalized by the skillful display of flowers, plants and other natural elements. Publisher's notebook Ron Bartizek The tone of some election campaigns led me to this vision: A candidate sitting on the sidewalk, looking a bit disheveled, and holding a sign that reads, “Will represent you for food.” Some candidates for office appear to believe their worth is in direct contrast to the amount of pay theyll accept, running ads suggesting they'll do without wage increases, drive second- hand cars and otherwise live hand-to-mouth as they do the public's business. I don't disagree that some public officials are paid more than they are worth, or that most don't receive benefits far in excess of those offered to most of their constitu- ents. But pledges of personal frugality — aside from usually being forgotten the day after the election — tell us little about a candidate’s principles or priorities, which are vastly more important than if he or she drives a ‘96 Buick or a ‘69 Dodge Dart. ia Political campaigns have lately focused more and more on the personal qualities of candidates, and less on their qualifi- cations for office. The two don’t always, or maybe even often, go together. If we reward the kind of mean-spirited campaigns that focus time and energy on criticizing opponents’ personal habits while ignoring larger issues, we'll surely get the kind of government we deserve. 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 Paul Rismiller PRODUCTION MANAGER 2) PRINTED WITH SOY INK|_ Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER “Fare, HF PENN LANI NATIONAL NEWSPAPER EF WSPA PE ASSOCIATION INEWSPAPER Lazy days of sprummer. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS Supreme could affect Editor: A recent ruling of the U.S. Su- preme Court negating a North Carolina county's Intangible Prop- erty Tax has raised some interest- ing and worrisome questions about Luzerne County's Personal Propety Tax. In other Pennsylva- nia counties, reportedly suits are already being filed by some tax- payers clamoring for refunds cov- ering the last five years. The Court ruled that the intan- gible property tax was unconsti- tutional on grounds that a “for- giveness” or exemption clause which included the State's do- mestic corporations interfered with interstate commerce and A Case for conservation en Alene N. Case On March 22nd, my husband, Mike, and I arose quite early to go on a birding expedition with some of our friends who belong to the local Audubon Society. It took us about two hours to reach the Middle Creek Wildlife Manage- ment Area just north of Lancaster, PA. We had been told that we should see tundra swans and snow geese and other migrating birds there. But, we were totally unprepared for the show we were about to witness. After getting our binoculars fo- cused on some Canada geese pecking at left-over corn in some fields and some ducks swimming in a shallow pond, we turned our eyes and ears toward the sky. There, in wave after wave, the snow geese came flying to one of their major rest areas on their journey north to the Arctic. Mike was taking pictures, hoping to record the experience for future contemplation. When we got the slides back, we were again im- pressed with the notion that it looked very much like a graffiti artist obsessed with “V” gone slightly mad. But, the most impressive part of the day could not be captured on film — the incredible music made by a choir of tens of thou- sands of birds! Snow geese sound similar to Canada geese, but their call is softer and more musical. And the hundreds of tundra swans certainly added some texture to therefore counties have had no authority to impose such taxes. Nationally, this suggests a major shakeup for some counties wherein substantial revenues were derived from such sources. The obvious questions, locally, are: What does this mean for Luzerne County taxpayers and for Luzerne County finances? Ex- actly how much in Personal Prop- erty taxes has the County been collecting? How much will it now have torefund (ifany) and for how many years? Is the amount suffi- ciently large that it might even bankrupt Luzerne County? How much in alternative taxes will the County have to impose to replace county taxes the missing revenues? What kind of alternative taxes are we talking about? (The Personal Property Tax is generally believed to be a “progressive” tax—paid only by a relatively few of the wealthy.) Wouldn't a simple “fix” merely involve removing the “exemption” now given to Pennsylvania's do- mestic companies? But, in such case, wouldn't the County still have to repay all monies collected previously when the tax was “un- constitutional”? Puzzling problems for taxpay- ers, lawyers and politicians.... Hugh P. King Dallas Here come the snow geese! the chorus. The children who had come with their parents were also thoroughly caught up in this com- munication with nature. There was no need to try to look through binoculars or to be quiet (the big birds seemd totally oblivious to the staring humans) or any of the other frustrations that usually accompany such excursions. It was — for all ages — sheer joy. Mike and I began our bird list in the mid-1970s when we lived in Nova Scotia, Canada. The 160 different birds on that list, like the snow goose, represent much more than dates and places carefully recorded in our Peterson's Field Guide. Theyrepresentour gradual acquaintance with the avian spe- cies which inhabit such a wide variety of natural and constructed sites. Some of the birds on that list are so common (robins, crows, cardinals) that we have seen them every year wherever we have lived. Others are quite rare — like the eagles we viewed at Rio Reservoir in New York State this spring. Some are from far away places like the beecatchers we saw in action in southern Hungary. Some (purple and house finches, brown creeper and {ox sparrow) were first seen at our backyard feeder. It is no accident that the envi- ronmental movement traces its beginnings to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Birds are a very good barometer for the general health of our environment. In the 1960s, the worry was chemcial pollution. As our country has passed laws to limit and clean up such industrial contaminants, some bird populations have been able once again to spread across their former range. It is most gratifying to see an osprey atop each post and buoy along the Chincoteague Bay and to realize that without the ban on DDT this a big fisherman would have gone the way of the dodo. Today, birds are indicators of other kinds of stress. Many song- birds that migrate from Central and South America are finding less and less suitable habitateach year on both ends of their jour- ney. Here, we are chopping up forests and fields for subdivisions and malls. And there, the tropical forests are being cut for agricul- ture and for profit. Many: birds need wetlands, shallow ponds or fields as rest/feeding areas on their long flights. Ifthese habitats disappear, they simply cannot make it to their nesting areas. I am constantly amazed at the variety of habitats in which birds nest, feed, and over-winter. In order to bring back the bald eagle, it was necesary not only to rid the environment of DDT, but also to provide adequate fresh water streams and lakes with fish on which these big birds could feed. Warblers of various kinds feed at different levels in the trees. They are all eating insects. But, some feed on {lying insects at the tops of the trees, while others gather caterpillars off the leaves, and others go for grubs in the bark. Sometimes six different warblers will be dividing the “goodies” in one tree! Pennsylvania has 187 species of birds which nest in the state. Almost two hundred others visit during various times of the year. Seven of the nesting species are listed as endangered and another seven are threatened. Our chal- lenge is to make our state once again hospitable to the birds and other animals which are finding it increasinbly difficult to live here. As we do, our lives will also be enriched by the sights and sounds of healthier ecosystems. Long live the snow geese! OF "HI { YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - May 1,1936 SCOUTS HONORED FOR FLOOD RELIEF WORK Twenty-five Boy Scouts from Shavertown and Trucksville who worked tirelessly during Wyoming Valley's twin floods in March re- ceived citations on Wednesay evening at Wilkes-Barre. Without sleep the Scouts worked for three days running errands, directing traffic, helping refugees from flooded homes and delivering food- stuff by boats. be Mrs. W.L. Tracy of Shavertown recently returned from New York City, where she celebrated her birthday and that of her son, Lee Tracy, stage and screen star. She is planning a summer trip to Hol- lywood and a cruise on Lee's new 63 foot yacht. Tracy recently fin- ished a part in “Sutter's Gold” now being released. You could get - Chuck roast, 18¢ 1b.; veal roast, 23¢ Ib.; sugar, 10 lbs. 48¢; prunes, 5¢ lb.; Lifebuoy soap, 3 cakes, 17¢. 50 Years Ago - May 3, 1946 DALLAS FIGHTING IRISH TEAM CHANGES NAME Tracing the history of Dallas area from 1796 to the present, Miss Estella Goldsmith of Dallas Township, teacher and descen- dant of pioneer settlers of the region, gave an illuminating talk before members of the Book Club of Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary. She illustrated her talk with several old maps, one of them the property of Mrs. Albert Kunkle and another map she had drawn herself of properties owned by early settlers. She compared them with a modern map provided by Prof. Raymond Kuhnert. When they discovered that there was not a single Irishman on their team, the Dallas Fighting Irish of the Teen-Age League, most of whose players came from the Brooklyn section of Dallas, imime- diately voted to change the name of their aggregation to the Dallas Brooklyn Dodgers. ; 40 Years Ago - Apr 27, 1956 MRS. ECK IS NAMED. MRS. WYOMING VALLEY Rev. Francis A. Kane, pastor of Gate of Heaven Church, Machell Ave., Dallas, was among 440 cler- gymen of the three major faiths from five states who spent a full day at Fort Dix, NJ observing ba- sic training, visiting barracks and chapels, eating in a soldier “chow line” and exchanging ideas with past chaplains at Fort Dix. For the second time Shavértown carried off the Mrs. Wyoming Val- ley title when Mrs. Frederick Eck was hailed the winner of the 1956 contest at the Thursday evening Parade of Progress in the West Side Armory. Mrs. Charles Eberle was the 1954 winner. Eck is active in school, church and com- munity work. id Now playing at the Himmler Theatre - “The Man Who Never Was" with Clifton Webb. «= 30 Years Ago - Apr. 28,1966 POSTAL SAVINGS SYSTEM CLOSES SHOP is Postmaster Ed Buckley urged depositors with postal savings certificates to withdraw their ac- counts from Post Offices as soon as possible or as soon-as the anniversary dates on their certifi- cates are reached. The Postal Savings System was abolished March 27. Buckley pointed out that as of April 28, no deposits can be accepted and no new ac- counts can be opened. : Dallas Junior Woman's Club is collecting old or worn Bibles and New Testaments. These in turn will be sent to Mr. White's World Wide Bible Gift Ministry in Louisi- ana, where they are distributed to the needly regardless of race, creed and color. ! You could get - Rib roast, 69¢ Ib.; strawberries, 39¢ dry pint, Chase & Sanborn Coffee, 1 1b.'¢can 79¢, Scott Paper Towels, 2 pkgs. of 200, 59¢. ; 8 20 Years Ago - Apr. 29, 1976 MARCHING KNIGHTS IN DERBY PARADE gf Lake-Lehman Band members, families and friends, transported by five Martz buses, left for Ken- tucky Tuesday, where the band will compete in the Kentucky Derby Festival.. They will, march in the 21st annual Pegasus Pa- rade on April 29. won! AIK v9 $ 0 i“.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers