4. The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, February 12, 1997 S— EDITORIALS You don't have to ; look far to find a hero oN ; i Before you take your kids to see Space Jam or Star Wars, you night want to tell them the story of a real hero who lives and works right in their own backyard. Kingston Township police lives of six occupants of a home that burned last weekend. By icking in the front door and helping evacuate the James Miller amily and a houseguest, Ibbotson joins the ranks of people who have honored their profession and their humanity by acts of bravery. Egged on by commercial interests, modern society has gdnfused heroism and celebrity to the point that many observ- s don't know the difference. But Ibbotson’s actions early aturday morning were a graphic illustration of real courage; e man’s determination to risk his life to save others. Some might say he was only doing his job, and that is true as far as it goes. What goes unsaid is that he has trained for his job as leng and hard as actors or athletes have practiced their crafts, preparing for the day when his skills would be put to the test. d no one’s job description requires that they race into yurning buildings when there’s no one else around to help them out. ! Rescuing a family from fire won't get James Ibbotson a $20 million Nike contract or make his face recognizable around the obe. His heroism won't get him the best table at fancy : restaurants or draw screams from fawning groupies. But his bravery should give him the satisfaction of knowing he has lived up to and beyond the responsibilities of his chosen profession while setting an example for his associates and the community he serves. LL wrestlers rate a 10 “ Wow! There's not much left to be said about the Lake- Lehman wrestling team, which captured the first District 2 Class AA Dual Meet championship Saturday. The Black Knights came out ahead in three matches that day, winning each by a margin of at least 50 percent each time. ; Anyone who follows Lake-Lehman wrestling is not surprised By this performance, given that the Knights have been unde- feated in their conference six of the past eight years. But let's not take that kind of record for granted; co-coaches Phil Lipski and Tom Williams have molded a winning tradition that is second to none, building on experience gained in fine junior high and youth squads. It’s interesting to also note the fine academic performance turned i in by team members, seven of whom were named to the honor roll for the most-recent marking period. That shows their coaches and families are keeping the competing aspects of student life in perspective. . Now it’s on toregionals and state competition, where we wish the 1997 Black Knights well. We look forward to reporting on more fine performances to come. i i Publisher's notebook | . I used to consider myself more liberal than otherwise, but rlow I'm beginning to wonder: Have I changed or has politics moved more to the extreme on both sides? The latest idea that raises questions in my mind is President Clinton's plan to reward good grades in college with tax credits or deductions. You've probably heard about the plan; to give families with college students in their first two years either a $1,500 tax credit or a $10,000 deduction from income, as long as they earn grades of B or above. I'm not sure if that’s a B average or no grade below B, but that’s not what concerns me. I worry that once this scheme’'s in place, most everyone will get a B, especially if they have a good enough sob story for their instructor or the school is desperate for students. There's also this possibility; schools will increase their tuition by, say, $1,000 a year knowing that it will come from the tax subsidy. This also is one of many arguments against vouchers for privaie schools, and I think it's a legitimate concern. * Not that I oppose paying for grades. It's a tactic I use, but only for outstanding performance. (And in amounts a lot lower than Clinton's talking about!) I'm just concerned that grade inflation often sets in whenever there’s a pile of government money on the table. The $1,500 figure sounds a lot like the amount in a Pell grant, a program that has been cut back in recent years, but which has a good record of rewarding deserving students. : We need to do a better job of educating our youth, but I doubt this is the way to do it. But then, I don’t have any brilliant suggestions either, except to be involved with your kids’ schooling as much as they'll tolerate. fficer James Ibbotson is credited with probably saving the. A Real Hometown Paper ‘you can feel good about The Dallas Post The Dallas Post Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 717-675-5211 Charlotte E. Bartizek . Ronald A. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER PUBLISHER Dennise Casterline ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kylie Shafferkoetter REPORTER Paul Rismiller PRODUCTION MANAGER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER MEMBER 4d 2) PRINTED WITH NIN PENNSYLVANIA | =Z|SOY INK _ NAICHAL NE wspasen NEWSPAPER Cat camouflage fails on a snowy day. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS If the school ain't broke, don't fix it!" Editor: You've heard the old adage “If it ain't broke, don't fix it!” I feel this applies to Westmoreland School. Not in the literal sense, of course, because I realize there are reno- vations needed (although I am unclear of the details) I'm refer- ring to the fact that everyone in- volved with Westmoreland is happy: the teachers, the parents and most importantly, the chil- dren. In this fast-paced, ever- changing world, Westmoreland is “a constant”, “a familiarity”, “a comfort zone” for our children and because they are comfortable they do better academically. Isn't that the bottom line? My dad graduated from high school there, my siblings and I attended Westmoreland as did and are my children. As a matter of fact, Westmoreland is the only reason I kept my younger chil- dren in the Dallas School Dsitrct because of the good experiences I and my older children had while attending that school. Besides taking away a wonder- ful school, the children will be losing the playground in the neigh- borhood. With no sidewalks, the playground is used for biking, walking and rollerblading not to mention just playing some ball or using the playground equipment. Just check it out any evening or weekend once the warm weather hits. Do our children have to lose this, too? I feel the walls of this great school will outlast any new con- struction built (remember the leaks of the new high school wing?) memories. Education should not be a business measured by dol- lars and cents, but by the smiles and accomplishments of our chil- dren. Please, put them first. L. Gross Trucksville You can't judge a nurse by her uniform Editor: I am writing in reference to an article which was published in the December18 issue of The Dal- las Postentitled “What would Flo- rence Nightingale think?” by Mr. Jack Hilsher. In the article, Mr. Hilsher stated that Florence Nightingale, who he irreverently called “Flossie”, “single-handedly transformed nursing from a lowly, thankless chore to a skilled and respected profession”. He continued his article by stating that “the lady with the lamp” was affected by “profound psychoneurosis” with- out any references to his appar- ently extensive research into nurs- ing history. He stated that “data entry clerks from billing look nearter than most nurses do today” and that by up- dating their uniforms nurses have lost their “angelic” appearance. It is preposterous to assert that edu- cated and professional nurses LIBRARY NEWS By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The Back Mountain Memorial Library announces some upcom- ing events for February. The ‘Friends of the Library’ will meet on February 14 at 1 p.m. in the community room of the library. Anyone interested in becoming involved with this group is wel- come to attend. The first auction meeting for the 51st auction will take place in the community room of the library on Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. Interested community members and willing workers are invited to attend this kick-off event for the should dress as angels to gain public trust. Over the past few decades nurses have diligently worked to gain a higher degree of profes- sionalism and autonomy in our male-dominated health care field. Through higher education and dedication to quality patient care, nurses have worked to break the demeaning stereotypes Mr. Hilsher reproduced in this article. Although he stated many ways in which his fictitious “Mrs. Jones” was annoyed by nurses, Mr. Hilsher neglected to mention what sort of nursing care was provided for “Mrs. Jones.” He neglected to mention whether “Mrs. Jones” understood the purpose and risks involved in her surgery; if her vital signs were monitored post-opera- tively; was her incision checked for bleeding, drainage and evis- ceration; was her abdomen dis- tended; what was her oral intake; had she been taught deep-breath- ing and leg exercises to prevent the formation of blood clots; was her pain controlled; did her anal- - gesics have side effects; was her IV solution correct and infusing at the correct rate; was her IV site patent; was there edema, redness or pain at the site; was her foley catheter patent; and depending on the type of surgery, I could continue extensively. Maybe Ms. Nightingale wouldn't recognize today’s nurses in their updated uniforms, but certainly she, unlike Mr. Hilsher, would recognize quality nursing care. Although nurses have worked very hard to overcome the age-old stigmas surrounding their pro- fession, it is opinions such as Mr. Hilsher's which make nursing seem like a “lowly, thankless chore”. Patricia L. Moyle, R.N., B.S.N. Kick-off for library auction 1997 library auction. Joseph Stager will serve as chairman of the 51st auction. New books at the library: “Falsely Accused” by Robert K. Tanenbaum is the story of Butch Karp who is not working for the City of New York anymore. In- stead he’s fighting City Hall. New York's chief medical examiner, Murray Selig, has been summarily fired without due cause, and Butch, now in private practice, is suing the city for all this case of administrative malfeasance is worth. “The Dancer Upstairs” by Nicholas Shakespeare is a story of love and terror, of the fragility of human lives caught in the crossfire of politics. A South American country has just put behind bars its most notorious rebel leader, the man known as Ezequiel, whose bloody war against the state has cost 30,000 lives. The police of- ficer responsible has been pen- sioned. “Death in Lovers’ Lane” by Carolyn Hart is the story of ‘Henrie O’, a character creation, compas- sionate, resourceful, unparalleled sexagenarian sleuth. Beautiful, ambitious and abrasive Maggie Winslow approaches her with an idea for an investigative series, a look at three unrelated unsolved crimes she urges the tenacious budding reporter to pursue the story with vigor. “Small Town Girl” by LaVyrle Spencer is about young Tess McPhail, who left tiny Winter- green, Missouri, for Nashville and never looked back. She is now one of country music's brightest lights. She is amillionairess many times over, whose career is her life. She has no time for marriage, children, or kinsfolk—until she goes home to help care for her widowed mother. WN 60 Years Ago - Feb. 19, 1937 PETITIONS OPPOSING ROOSEVELT SENT TO POST A number of petitions which ~ will be forwarded eventually to the Senate and House opposing’ President Roosevelt's bill propos- ing changes in the Supreme Court have been sent to The Post by Frank E. Gannett publisher of Gannett newspapers, with the re-- quest that they be made available: to those persons who oppose the proposal. Anyone wanting copies: of the petition may call at The Post. The gas station bandits who' have been striking with serperit-- like swiftness here in the last’ month have stolen $55 in three robberies. Split among the four,’ nets each one a little less than: $14 for three stick-ups not“to’ mention the occupational risks of 1 their profession and the threatof. imprisonment hanging over them. 50 Years Ago - Feb. 21, 1947" WORKMEN BUILD 124 FT. BRICK STACK IN BOILER Workmen yesterday completed the 124-ft. brick stack in the boiler room at Natona Mills. The stack « has a 5 ft. diameter at the top and will provide the draft for the two’ big boilers, one high pressure and the other low pressure, which will be installed in the boiler room as" soon as the floors are laid. Both boilers will be fed by stokers and burn anthracite coal. 40 Years Ago - Feb. 15,1957 ¢ SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSES SEPARATING SCHOOLS Dallas Area School Directors balked Tuesday evening at taking a vote on the proposed separation of the Junior and Senior High School students, holding that ad- = vantages and disadvantages mitist * a he a ‘beweighed. Reallocation of three, “classes of elementary school chit=+ “ both physicallyand through goo q.. dren is the probable price: “of: ‘seperation as Junior High Schogt. enrollment is higher than the Seat nior High School and the Tolwir:: ship school is already crowded; There is nothing Dallas Towns: ship can do to influence the Stab: Department of Highways to aps prove a 35-mile speed limit’ GH Overbrook Avenue. This was $x plained by Dallas Township Su pervisors to members of the Back: Mountain Citizens Committee at. a meeting Monday night in Dal! las-Franklin-Monroe High Schl; » The State has refused to permits the supervisors to post the road ify; spite of a petition asking for a 351% mile limit. The State also refused - . to permit Dallas Township to ergct. a traffic light at the intersection of * lower Main Street and Memomls Eke FaPN . i?) TIGER CAT THAT ATTACKED: + WOMAN CAPTURED = Trapped in a garbage can, the. dark grey tiger cat which bit Mrs:: Edward Gensel three weeks ago: at her home in Lehman was picked *, up by the SPCA and the head sent. to the Harrisburg laboratory for examination. No report on the + findings has been released. Mrs, - Gensel whose finger was badly: mangled spent eight days at Mercy * Hospital. Her son, Charles, who - had been badly scratched on the . neck when the terrified animal darted about the room, was also hospitalized. : 20 Years Ago - Feb. 17, 972: : : RAS or ROBERT POST APPOINTED g MAYOR OF DALLAS BORO Robert Post of Dallas was En pointed mayor of Dallas Borough: at the borough council meeting, Tuesday evening. He will fill the: position left vacant by the recent. death of Stephen Hartman and.” will serve until Jan. 1978. Post isis a former councilman of the bor ough. SL Dallas School Board members. * Monday voted to reduce the com-"- 5 mission rate paid to tax collectors . of the municipalities within the." district in order to establish a fair: « compensation. A base pay com-'. pensation is required by the Penin> | sylvania School. Code but finance. chairman Earl Fritzges stated that; since all of the municipalities have: .! elected tax collectors it would riot, be fair to establish a base salary.* a since some of the officials serve; - " a areas larger than others. ae Ng ki 5 BS J ! : IR ‘9 ® JW <a -
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers