TE LT JET rm er EAT . TE a 5 OE PR LEP 5 ONE ee i HH HT HT. ee A ao reece ~ Dallas, PA 4 The Dallas Post Wednesday, January 8, 1997 ps ai iii ose 8 J RIE It's your turn to help choose a school site ' established positions but by the willingness to change in the face of new information, despite the accusations of vacillation | that are certain to follow. Thomas Landon, the Dallas school i board director who switched his vote on a location for the | replacement for Westmoreland Elementary School, is a good i Landon voted in October against moving the school to the ai trict's main campus. But when his side lost that vote, he jogged the majority that preferred the site of the former Dallas wnship High School, in part because it kept Westmoreland aysically isolated from the other schools, satisfying in small gasure the concerns of parents and teachers who feared : losing the school’s identity. But there was a dark side to that choice; the loss of two or three baseball and softball fields used !by hundreds of Back Mountain children. While some board members contend the district has no responsibility to the community outside of low-cost education, preserving the fields by building the new school on the main campus is seen by many citizens as a logical compromise. The five school directors who voted for the main campus site didn’t necessarily do so to save the fields, but that will be the result, and, if not a perfect solution, it is at least better than the -ene it replaced. We still would prefer that Westmoreland be kept in the area it serves, whether on the existing site or another. That isn't the most “efficient” option in construction and administrative terms, but it's probably the best for education and parental involvement.There’s probably little chance the board will go that far, so now it’s up to them — and you — to see that the best lacation on the main campus is chosen. hiThe school board will hold a session Sunday at 1 p.m. at the the main campus, in which board members and the public will viéw the potential spots for the building. That kind of open dicussion should have been scheduled throughout the months this issue has been active, but it is better done late than never. A large turnout will reinforce the importance of educational issues in our communities. ”, ¥28chool directors have seen the turmoil surprise votes and @rivate discussion of important issues cause. Now they must 3 esolve to invite public participation in all major aspects of the Mistrict’s operation, even if when means holding special meet- ngs like the one this Sunday. Publisher's notebook EE A A PCH € ot" Bstencd to portiots of the major college bowl ames. There was real excitement and drama in most of them, - fmeluding vindication for Brigham Young and Ohio State balanced against the disappointment of Arizona State. Penn scpred a convincing win in Tempe, and Florida was impressive if1:the shootout in New Orleans. at < But that’s enough for me. I think a ratiofal championship Bscollege football would be a waste of time, or worse, an ®¥nowledgement that the sport predominates over the real work of institutions of higher education. Supporters of an ever- higher profile for college sports will argue that successful aad especially in football, bring in millions of dollars that help sustain the schools. But, as Heisman winner Danny Wuerffel pointed out, those who judge success by money alone are missing the real point of life and, in this case of colleges. We ave one national championship of football now, in the pro Franks where it belongs. We don’t need to focus more effort on college sport; if anything the reverse is desirable, promoting schools more for their academic programs than for their ability ‘to recruit athletes who might also be students. 4 Even the thought of overtime in bowl games strikes me as out of place. The fact that a team gets to play in a bowl is good enough for me, although that may be the minority opinion in our win-crazed culture, And it wouldn't bother me at all if the - voting for the top team ended in a tie. Letters, columns and editorials The Dallas Post attempts to publish opinions on a variety of topics _{in many forms. Editorials, which are the opinion of the managment of The Post, appear on the editorial page and are written by the editor iunless otherwise indicated. Any artwork represents the opinion of the ‘cartoonist, and columns are the opinion of the author. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, subject to the following guidelines: e Letters should not exceed 500 words. * No writer may have more than one letter published during a 30-day period, except as a reply to another letter. e Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a telephone number for verification. e Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear threat to the writer. » The Post retains the right to accept or reject any letter, and to edit letters for grammar and spelling, as well as to eliminate any libel, slander or objectionable wording. In addition to letters, we welcome longer pieces that may run as columns. The author or subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be the prime consideration when selecting material for publication. 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 Dennise Casterline ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kylie Shafferkoetter REPORTER Paul Rismiller | Olga Kostrobala y PRODUCTION MANAGER i | J CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER NINLer hos om PRINTED WITH iy SOY INK NATIONAL NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION UaCisHERS ASSOCIATION Sometimes courage is defined not by stubborn adherence to" Ice patterns. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Aslwas Jack Hilsher The anthropologist is familiar enough with the ways of different people so that he is seldom sur- prised by exotic customs. How- ever the beliefs and practices of - the Nacirema are so unusual they are offered as examples of the extremes of human behavior. This North American group's culture is poorly understood. Little is known of their origin, but ac- cording to Nacirema mythology, their nation was originated by a culture hero, Notgnihsaw, who is known for feats of strength, like throwing a piece of wampum across ariver and chopping down a cherry tree in which the Spirit of Truth resided. Nacirema culture features a highly developed market economy which only occupies a portion of their time. The rest seems to be spent on care of their bodies, and to that end each house has a shrine solely for that purpose. The more powerful individuals in the society have several shrines in their houses, and, in fact, the opulence of a house is often re- ferred toin terms of the number of such ritual centers it possesses. The shrine’s focal point is a box built into the wall in which are kept many charms and magical Studying the strange people of Nacirema potions without which no native believes he could live. These preparations are secured from powerful medicine men whose assistance is rewarded with sub- stantial gifts. These men do not provide potions directly, only writ- ing down their ingredients in a secret language. Herbalists, for another gift, provide the potions. As these magical potions are for specific ills, and the maladies of these people are many, the shrine box is usually filled. So many packets overflow that people forget what their purpose was and [ear to use them again. The Nacirema also perform a mouth-rite nightly, inserting a bundle of hog-hairs into the mouth, along with magical pow- ders and water, and moving the bundle in a formalized series of gestures. In addition to the mouth-rite, the people seek out a holy mouth- man once a year. These practitio- ners have an impressive set of augers, awls and probes. The use of these objects in the exorcism of the evils of the mouth involve almost unbelievable ritual torture of the client. He removes decay in their teeth by creating a large hole and filling it with magic material. The rite is so sacred they return year after year as their teeth continue to decay. In conclusion, mention must be made of their ritual fasts to make fat people thin and ceremo- nial feasts to make thin people fat. Other rites are used to make women's breasts larger il they are small, and smaller if theyare large. General dissatisfaction with breast shape is symbolized by the fact that the ideal form is virtually outside the range ofhuman varia- tion. A few women affected with in- human hypermammary develop- ment are so idolized that they make a handsome living simply going [rom village to village and permitting the natives to stare at them [or a fee. Review of the Nacirema ritual life shows them lo be a magic- ridden people. Itis hard to under- stand how they have managed to exist so long under the burdens they have imposed upon them- selves. But even their exotic customs have helped in their de- velopment, and perhaps without them, Nacirema man could not have advanced to his higher stage of civilization. P.S. now spell Nacirema back- wards. And read the column again... NOTE: We acknowledge with thanks the above excerpted from an article by Horace Miner which appeared in the “American An- thropologist.” Like parable wril- ing, good satire is not easy to do, but Mr. Miner succeeded admira- bly. LEGISLATORS DIRECTORY Senator Rick Santorum (R) B-40 Dirksen Building Washington, DC 20510 Washington: (202) 224-6324 Fax: (202) 228-4991 State Officials State Sen. Charles D. Lemmond (R) (717) 675-3931 22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memorial Hwy., Dallas PA 18612-1231 Lemmond’s district includes the Back Mountain. State Rep. George Hasay (R) 287-75050r542-73450r474-2276 Federal Officials Representative Paul E. Kanjorski (PA 11th District) (D) Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200 Washington: (202) 225-6511 Address: 10 E. South St., Wilkes- Barre PA 18701-2397 or 2429 Rayburn Building, Wash- ington, DC 20515 Senator Arlen Specter (R) Wilkes-Barre: 826-6265 Washington: (202) 224-4254 Address: 116 S. Main S., Wilkes- Barre PA 18701 or 477-3752 369 South Mountain Boulevard, Mountaintop PA 18707 Hasay's district encompasses: Harveys Lake, Lehman Township, Jackson Township, Lake Town- ship, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dallas Township's north voting district. State Rep. Phyllis Mundy (D) 283-9622 or 655-3375 Suite 107, 400 Third Avenue, King- ston PA 18704 Dallas Borough, Dallas Township except for the north voting district, and Kingston Township. ONLY 431 | YESTERDAY |i 60 Years Ago - Jan. 15,1937 MARAT BLDG DEMOLISHED One of this section's oldest building bowed to progress this week as workmen began dem6i- ishing the condemned Mafat building on Main Street, Dallas. The frame building stood origi nally in the rear of the site ndw occupied by First National Bark. The new rooms of the Daddd* Isaac Post American Legion were formally opened Monday evening. In connection with the opening | t was announced that John Isade and Wesley Daddow have contribed $38.50 each to pay for the colors which will hang in the rooms of the local post. low : : 3 1d 50 Years Ago - Jan. 17, 1947" NEW NATIONAL MILLS PLANT GETS ROOF The big new plant of Natona Mills stretching along Memotia] Highway just west of Dallas’fs now three quarters under roéf and with good weather prove Sordoni Construction Co. expe to have it entirely under roof witht the next week and a hall. ad The January Grand Jury re- turned a true bill Friday in t case of Atty. William Valentirié, Meeker, vs Lehman Township supervisors and secretary. Val entine charged the supervisbts with neglect of the township road between Meeker and Lehman ‘af- ter the snowfall of Dec. 20 cause they did not plow it untilla day later. He also cited oth cases of neglect. Installed just before the open- ing of the basketball season kr electrical board now flashes tige score and reports the time during cage games in the Lehman gym. It was purchased at a cost of $225, which was drawn from the prolits ofthe student magazine campaign during the previous school year 40 Years Ago - Jan. 11, 1957, DALLAS BORO WORKERS GET RAISE FOR NEW.YEAR, ‘Salaries and. wages of policg and road departmeni employees were increased al the January meeting of the Dallas Borough Council Tuesday evening in the Borough Building. Street Dept. wages for laborers will be ins creased from $1.00 to $1.10. The same hourly rates will apply for all policemen. Salaries of Chief of Police Russell Honeywell and Street Commissioner Alvin Shaffer were increased $15 per months bringing their annual salaries to $3,180. Among live school districts ine volved there was a general publi ‘approval this week of the five men, Sam Davis. Hugh Gebheart,, Raymon R. Heddon, Harry, Ge; Swepston and Howard Weiner Jr; named this week by their respeg-, tive districts as members of the Authority to construct a new high school building for Dallas Area schools. Included in their num- ber are a banker, accountant, contractor, engineer and lumber dealer. 30 Years Ago - Jan. 12, 1967, GARRIS IS SECRETARY OF | DALLAS BOROUGH Ralph Garris was appointed the new secretary of Dallas Boro gh Council at a meeting of the graup, Tuesday evening. Garris eplaiey } { \ \ 1 \ Walter Rowell who resigned for reasons of health. Due to the increased enroll ment in Dallas School Distric provisions will be made to add oo more teachers during 1968 in the Domestic Science and nat 1 Arts Department. There are indications that bbth Harveys Lake and Lehman Town- ship supervisors will appeal the recent divison handed down by Luzerne County Court in the cre- ation of a new borough at the Lake. Latest date to file isJan. 20 and it is expected that some ac- tion will be taken to hold on to tHE sectors now defined as the naw borough. Loss of former tows ship properties which aid in tax upkeep will be felt in both com- munities. 1) 20 Years Ago - Jan. 13, 1974 DONALD JONES RUNS FOR MAGISTRATE CHAIR B Donald J. Jones, 41, aJackgo Township resident and presen chief of police in the lownshi announced his intent to seek'th office presently held by Magid trate Leonard Harvey in the Ra- publican primary. Also noted as 5 running for the position are k Ienry Tuck Jr., Oak Hill and Andrey W Denmon JF. Harveys Lake. *% DLE EL A = Vor Ti
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers