4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 31, 1996 EDITORIALS School-To-Work: let's make it work Two public school guidance counselors are taking the initial steps that we hope will lead to a closer connection between schools and employers. Bob Rogers of Lake-Lehman and Jack Wolensky of Dallas are spending a week of their summer “on- the-job” with area businesses, seeing firsthand what skillsand traits students need to have a chance at success in the world E they will enter alter school. It’s all part of a program called the Wyoming Valley School-To-Work Partnership, a joint venture of business people and educators. If this program is implemented enthusiastically, it could be one of the most important experiences ol a young person's school years. Understalled guidance departments often [ind their days filled with problem children, with precious little time left over to identify students who have latent potential but lack direction. The result is that academic and athletic stars — who need little coaching — and troublemakers get the attention they require, while good but unexciting students are lost in the shuffle. Imagine the number of (eenagers whose imagination and goals could be sparked by time spent alongside amember of the profession or trade he or she aspires to. Conversely, many would likely be turned off alter seeing the real work life of those they so admire [rom a distance, or based only on glamorization by. television or movies. laving guidance counselors spend time at businesses is a good start. Far more important steps remain to be taken, and the most critical will be sending students into offices, stores ~ and factories where they can gel a close look at life beyond “school, whether high school, technical college or beyond. This is a big undertaking, but one that could pay big dividends both for ‘the youngsters and their future employers. We hope it succeeds. Walk signals make taking a stroll more pleasurable The next best thing after the fact that signal lights along Routes 309 and 415 are almost in operation is that they include walk lights. After year’s of dodging speeding cars, those people old: fashioned enough to walk from place to place will be able to safely cross the highways at regular intervals. Walking is a lost art for many people. Low gas prices and the “insanity of trying to cross the road have made even the shortest trip more appealing by car. That may change, at least for those willing to brave the new improved highways. Aside [rom the ~ obyious benefits — more exercise and less pollution — walking offers many pleasures, such as the sound of birds calling and a closer look at your neighborhood and community. Along the way, you may stop and chat with friends who are out in the yard, or themselves taking a stroll instead of a ride. But be warned; you'll still have to be extra careful when crossing busy roadways. There's always the risk that a motorist either won't see or will disregard the signal. So, even when you have the right of way, it’s best to double check for traffic from all directions before venturing out. ‘ ‘ : 1 ‘ Publisher's notebook We're just back [rom a week ofl, spent in Southern New England, which included beach time and a day trip to Block Island. You can get there by airplane or ferry, and we chose the latter, spending about an hour each way on the water. While the weather was disappointingly gray and cool, we still enjoyed our second visit to this lovely island, which is not overdevel- oped to the extent many resorts are. Most of the island is off limits to more building, so it will retain its charms, which include relatively uncrowded beaches, bikeable streets and plenty ol open space. The explosion of prosperily in places like Block Island is remarkable. As little as 20 years ago, it was an out-of-the- -way spot, left behind by Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, dotted wilh dilapidated buildings. Now, the shops and hotels do a brisk business — even midweek — and a battle rages over whether growing tourism is good or bad [or the place, with most people willing to trade the crowds and inconvenience for a steady income. I know we're glad they haven't pul up a gate yet. But enough about us. What did you do on your summer vacation? Let us know; we'd love to do a [eature story about where you went, what you did and how you enjoyed it. We'll even publish a couple of those photos you've been dying to show the neighbors, il they'd only let you. Give me a call at 675- 5211, and we'll set up an interview. Ll Send your items to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 or drop them off at our office at 45 Main Road, Dallas. | Deadline: Fridays at 4 p.m. 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 p J Paul Rismiller Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER PRINTED WITH NIN” PENNSYLVANIA SOY INK ASSOCIATION ren NEWSPAPER Season's pastime at Harveys Lake. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. What our country really needs is higher oil prices Mainstream John William Johnson “How many miles per gallon does that thing get?” I asked. Service manager Bagadonuts initially ignored the question in favor of a pain in his back as he seated himelf on the well worn chair behind the auto dealership service counter. “About 30,” he said finally, sit- ting up and reaching for a pencil. “Did you see today's paper about gas prices hitting a 5-year high?” “That's all I need,” he groans. “More people complaining about gas mileage.” *Yes, but...” “You know what we need,” he interrupts. “What?” “We need higher gas prices, not lower ones.” This rather startling observa- tion was followed by some his- tory. “From the beginning of this century,” he says, “the world’s oil supply and its price was con- trolled by a loosely knit group of oil companies called the Seven Sisters who received only lip ser- vice from those in charge of moni- toring monopolies. Al the same time, it was perhaps necessary for both supply and price to be con- trolled by the suppliers, or the world’s economies, desperately dependent on the black gold, would fluctuate wildly. “Along came the 1970's and As I was ddan om Jack Hilsher If you are one of many who always thought that Diamond Jim Brady was purely a fictional char- acter, think again. This guy was for real. Born in New York in 1856, James Buchanan Brady was a natural salesman. Selling railroad equipment with back-to- back multimillion-dollar deals he quickly piled up a sizeable for- tune. He also knew how to spend it, In his wardrobe were 200 cus- tom-made suits and 50 glossy silk hats. He said, “If you're going to make money you have to look like money,” and he did. His collection of jewelry was worth $2 million. He paid $87,000 for a single set of shirt studs and cuff links. His diamond rings were the largest in New York and he had 30-odd watches, one of which was appraised after his death at $17,500. Brady said. “Them as has ‘em wears ‘em.’ Exercising in Central Park he would use one of his 12 gold-plated bicycles with diamonds and rubies embedded in the handlebars. To one of his lady [riends, the OPEC, an acronym for a consor- tium-largely Arab nations-called the Oil Producing Export Coun- tries. Two OPEC-induced steep price hikes in the 1970's proved the temporary wisdom of supply and price control as the world, most notably the United States, went into price shock and eco- nomic recessions both times oil prices were raised. “We survived, largely through reducing dependence on foreign oil by reducing consumption, by dramatically improving our over- all energy usage intelligence through massive education pro- | grams, and through experimen- tation and real world use of alter- native energy sources, complete with tax incentives. “What's happened’ since the 1970's is that oil prices have dropped dramatically. This was caused, in part, by reduced con- sumption from the 1970's along with a sluggish world economy reducing demand. “Now along comes Saddam Hussein in 1990 and the U.S. decides to become modern day Hessians, hiring out our military forces for the dubious benefit of have our young people die in the Saudi sand when the real solu- tion is implementation of simple market forces. We need to in- crease the price of gasoline to a point where consumption will be reduced and the rewards of the free enterprise system will rise up to discover, manufacture, distrib- ute and promote alternatives, i.e., a viable electric automobile. “All Hussein's invasion did was prolong the illusion that this coun- try can and should continue its primary economic activily as a military industrial complex. The horrible irony is that while we have applauded the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe for its aban- donment of communism in favor of [ree enterprise, we find our economic system glued to the Defense Department for the sur- vival of an inordinate number of American citizens. “Don't kid yourself,” he says, waving both arms, “our presence in Kuwait has as much to do with keeping profits flowing, and de- fense industry jobs intact, as it had to do with trying to maintain stable oil prices, depose a despot, or free Kuwait.” Bagadonuts makes sense. We proclaim peace and market war. We market war while our pub- lic infrastructure is falling down around our ears. We shout about the Japanese economic invasion while buying their cars, selling them our real estate, and not [following their example of $3 per gallon for gaso- line. And as we decide in the coming months who our next President will be, rising gas prices will com- pete with other issues for policy making prominence, i.e. - AIDS - Environmental degradation - Job insecurities - Health Care reform - Massive trade and budget deficits. - And a New World Order which is ever more increasingly not likely to take its marching orders, even its cues, from the world’s largest debtor nation...the United States. The true story of bejewelled glutton Diamond Jim Brady buxom 200-lb. singer-actrress Lillian Russell, Brady presented a special gilt bicycle with mother- of-pearl handlebars and emeralds and sapphires mounted on the spokes ofeach wheel. Miss Russell displayed her [amous machine every Sunday when she was pho- tographed in her while cycling suit with a Tyrolean hat. Although he relished his nick- name “Diamond Jim,” it was his eating habits which caused the most interest {rom his public. Certainly, lady [riends and jew- elry aside, food was the greatest passion in his life. The heights he reached have never been equalled by any man in history, and prob- ably never will. A typical Brady day would be- gin with a breakfast of hominy grits, eggs, corn bread, muffins, pancakes, chops, fried potatoes, a steak and a [ull gallon of orange juice. He called it “golden nectar” and it was his favorite beverage; he never touched a drop of liquor. The rest of a typical Brady day went about like this: 11:30 a.m.: a before-lunch snack of two or three dozen clams and oysters. 12:30 p.m.: a lunch of more clams and oysters, several boiled lobsters, three deviled crabs, a joint of beef and several kinds of pie. Mid-aflernoon tea - seafood platter and lemon soda, another favorite. Dinner, usually at a Broadway restaurant named Rector’s, where the proprietor would boast Brady was the “best 25 customers he had.” Brady would start with two to three dozen oysters, six crabs and two bowls [ull of turtle soup. Those were only appetizers. Main courses included six or seven lobsters, two ducks, two portions of terrapin (turtle meat), a sirloin, vegetables and an entire platter of pastries. Additional beakers of orange juice were con- sumed, and for an after-dinner treat he usually finished off a 2- Ib. box of candy. Crowds used to gather around the Brady table to cheer him on and to make bets on whether or not he'd pass out before dessert. For years Diamond Jim defied the dire predictions of medical experts, until he finally developed stomach (rouble at age 56. His career as a world-class eater was over, but he lived on for five more years until his death at the Shelburne Hotel in Atlantic City in 1917. A postmortem on his body per- formed al Johns Hopkins showed his stomach had been expanded to a size six times larger than normal. He left much of his for- tune totheJames Brady Urological Clinic at Johns Hopkins. Don't make ‘em like that any more. (oF "FRY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - Aug. 7, 1936 | COPS CRACK DOWN ON CAMPERS AT LAKE In an effort to break up petly * thievery at Harveys Lake, Chief Ira G. Stevenson of the Lake po- lice has issued orders that all campers will be required to se- cure written permits from land- owners on whose grounds they camp. For some time past'resi- dents of the Lake have been both:' ered with thefts of milk and food- stuffs from refrigerators. In'most instances where the culprits have been apprehended, they have been’ found to be campers. Ronald Doll, former pringipal of Dallas Borough school, was unanimously elected teacher of - English in Dallas Township Schools for the coming year by the = school board Monday night. You could get - Rib roast, 23¢ lb.; ground beef, 2 lbs., 33¢; oi ions, 4 1bs., 10¢; Graham Crack Ei ers, 1-lb. pkg., 9¢. 50 Years Ago - Aug. 9, 1946 LAND CLEARED FOR - NEW LACE MILL A crew of men were at work:Lhis week clearing away trees so that. - bulldozers of the Sordoni Con: struction Co. can start excavating: today for the foundation of Natona: Mills, a subsidiary of Native Lace - & Textiles Inc. The $125, 000 bond issue of Wilkes-Barre School District pro- ceeds from which will be used to _ remodel Coughlin High Schooland | | to make extensive improvements : to school property was awarded ‘ Tuesday to First National Bank of | Dallas. Effective date of bond'sale ~ is Sept. 16 and the interest rate will be 1 1/4%. Bonds will be amortized at a rate of $10,000 per year over an 11-year period. Now playing at Shaver Theatre: “The Virginian” with Joel McCrae, Sonny Tults, and Barbara Britton. 40 Years Ago - Aug .3, 1956 FINNTO TRY OUT FOR OLYMPIC RIFLE TEAM SFC Charles L. Mrs. Cora Finn, Center Hill Road, is a strong contender [or the U.S.’ Olympic Rifle team according to" word received this week from Fort Benning, GA. He will go to Camp Perry later this month with’ the © All-Army Team to compete for a’ - Finn, son of" place on the Olympic team which will be picked during those. malches. Preparation of the grounds tes = joining sthe present Gate of Heaven School and church structures on Machell Avenue is already under way for erection of the $200,000 + addition to the school. : Richard J. Griffith, Main St., Trucksville, whowas informed two years ago that he topped the list of 15 persons taking exams for the '- position of Trucksville Postmas- * ter, was ordered to report for" duty hy July 14. . 30 Years Ago - Aug. 4, 1966 NEW LIBRARIAN TAKES OVER LIBRARY Mrs. Martin L. up lo the Librarian's chair on | Aug. 1 when reliring librarian Mrs. * Richard Dale started on her month of vacation terminating two years | with Back Mountain Memqrijal | Library. Mrs. Davern, assistant and upon occasion acling librar- . Davern moved * ian for past four years was elected by the Library Board at its July.19 | meeling. | Mr. and Mrs. George Dendler, Ruggles, are celebrating their : 62nd wedding anniversary today. : They are parents of four children and have 10 grandchildren ‘and | 10 great-grandchildren. nx . & - 20 Years Ago - Aug. 3, 1976 LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE SPARES TWO FROM AREA + Two Legion delegates from Dal- | las were feeling fine when. The * Post contacted them Tuesday » evening in the wake of widespread reports of mysterious illness and deaths among Legionnaires, who, attended a recent state conver". 2 * tion. Ed Buckley and Thonjas E. . 2 Reese were feeling no ill effects. x following the covnention during thelalter part of July. State health. officials have not yet identified 4 mysterious and spparently . untreatable pneumonia like. ill- = ness that had apparently caused the death of 21 state Legion del: egales by Tuesday. ON a En ®
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers