4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 16, 1997 a— % EDITORIALS Room for compromise on private-school busing There's a move afoot in Harrisburg to remove the require- ment that public school districts transport students to private schools within 10 miles of the district line. Actually, there's discussion about removing many of the “mandates” placed on local school districts on the theory that the costs to be saved will translate into lower property taxes. In some cases this may be true, although there's really no way to be certain absent real experience. It's useful to recall what circumstances led to the imposition of state mandates. Many of them came into being because local districts weren't living up to their obligation to offer equal access to education for all students. Handicapped access and special education are the foremost examples. Others were simply a means to shift expenses from the state to the local level, so state officials could duck the expense — and taxes — necessary to maintain and expand educational opportunities. Now the chicken has come home to roost, and taxpayers see the mandates only as a cost imposed from above, but not funded from the same place. - It would be easy to view the busing question this way, or even from a more philosophical plane. Why, the question is posed, should public school taxpayers be forced to fund transporta- tion for children who attend private schools? If their parents think the public schools aren’t good enough for their kids, let them bear the cost of getting them to and from class. As in physics, though, there's an equal and opposite response; why should families who pay taxes to the public school but spare them the expense of educating their children not expect atleast this assistance. A little arithmetic will illustrate the argument. Dallas provides transportation for 441 private-school stu- dents. If they all went to public schools, the district would need about 20 more teachers and classrooms than it now provides. The teachers alone would cost about $1 million annually, well above what it costs for transportation. ‘This is a case where practical compromise outweighs prin- ciple. Perhaps the transportation mandate should be modified . by reducing the distance outside a district's borders that busing is required, but removing it entirely won't serve anyone's interests. Celebrate Woods’ victory, and our nation's progress lt is fitting that Tiger Woods’ triumph at the Master's golf tournament came only a few days before the 50th anniversary ‘of Jackie Robinson's entry into Major League Baseball. But let's not assume there's a great deal of connection between the two events, other than the fact that two men of great character shattered the conventional wisdom of their eras. Woods doesn’t : make a big display of his black heritage, but he does honor the pioneers like Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford who came before him. He appears to recognize that he's from a multi-racial background and relatively comfortable circumstances. It was different for Robinson. He played at a time when other people’s bigotry kept him and his brothers from the big leagues, no matter how good their skills, and the subsequent demolition of that attitude is due in no small part to his determination to succeed in baseball and in life. + It is a tribute to the progress that has been made in this nation that Tiger Woods could arrive on the scene a full-fledged hero | to children of all races and colors, and not have to fight his way to acceptance. Despite what you may read elsewhere, America is a more tolerant nation than it was 50 or even 20 years ago, and the continued presence of people like Jackie Robinson and Tiger Woods will assure our continued advance to becoming a truly color-blind society. FT Lead Publisher s notebook the Hale-Bopp comet in my lifetime. I've really enjaved going dutside in the evenings to watch this huge smudge of light hake its way around the solar system. Even though it’s about 10 times farther away than the last visible comet (That one was so lame I can't even recall its name), Hale-Bopp is much brighter, and its location makes it easy to spot on clear nights. Hale-Bopp is such an inspiration, I went out and bought a telescope a couple of weeks ago, just in time to spend a couple of sub-freezing evenings on the deck looking at the comet and other stellar delights. Actually, the ‘scope was a little disap- pointing; you stare into an eyepiece so tiny that the comet, while sharper, looks less impressive than with the naked eye. "It's a shame that a cult like the Heaven's Gate group saw this stunning natural phenomenon as anything more than a pass- ing bit of mysterious beauty. Of course there's plenty of reinforcement for the crazy beliefs they held; I heard the other day that about a third of the viewers of the X-Files television show think the stories are true. That's a really sad commentary on the state of our collective education and ability to discrimi- nate truth from fiction, but I'm afraid it’s widespread. Have UFO's visited Earth? Until I see one, and shake hands with an alien who steps down the gangplank, count me as a skeptic. Does life exist on other planets? I tend to think it does, though the distance between them and us would be too great for anything (anyone?) to make regular visits. | The Dallas Post x Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. / P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 717-675-5211 xn ew wn wm ln Lo ls e's va Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek lg p PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER oF A i fos ft Jessica Appolo Kylie Shafferkoetter *~ ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC REPORTER Paul Rismiller : Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver fr OFFICE MANAGER od AA od 2) PRINTED WITH ININLg=" PENN | =7ISOYINK| NEIONAY py waersen NEWSPAPER EE AT LR SA ee rab eee LO The cows of Poverty Hollow, Franklin Township. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. A simple sunset inspires friendship and a story Ellen Machovec was so im- pressed by the bond formed by two women and a sunset at Mead- ows Manor, she decided to capture the moment by writing the follow- ing story. It was an ordinary Sunday evening at The Meadows Manor in Dallas, PA. The dinner hour be- gan in the usual way. All of the residents gathered into the dining room within a few minutes of each other. The dinner was cheerfully served. Everyone appeared to enjoy their meal, as well as the conversation around the tables. As my co-worker and I were finishing our dinner, I overheard two residents conversing. They both wanted to watch the sunset before going to the lounge towatch the evening news and a movie. I was struck by an apparent friendship that was developing be- tween these two residents. They left the dinner table together and ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - April 23, 1937 IREM TEMPLE TO SELECT CADDIES FOR COURSE If a sufficient number of re- cruits can be enlisted locally, Irem Country Club will select its cad- dies from among Dallas boys this year, Ted Weisser, golf pro at the club announced. In the past the majority of the caddies have been boys from towns in the valley. Weisser reported this week he wants to meet any local boys, 14 years of age who have the qualifi- cations for good caddies. They should report to the golf shop as soon as possible so they can be trained before the season opens. Shavertown firemen will meet Monday evening in the Shaver- town school to discuss further plans for the purchase of a site in the township and the construc- tion of a new firemen’s home. A committee will report on the re- sults of its survey since the last meeting two weeks ago. LIBRARY] NEWS By NANCY KOZEMCHAK The staff of the Back Mountain Memorial Library entertained at a Volunteer Tea on Friday, April 4 in the community room at the li- brary. The tea was held in recog- nition of and in appreciation of our ‘circulation volunteers’. These people are our ‘front desk angels’. They help with the necessary work Meadows Manor Dallas, PA. Drawing by Emily Machovec gingerly walked to the chair by the patio door. One woman sat on the chair, the other on the arm of the chair. As they watched the sunset, it was apparent that they enjoyed each other's company. They seemed comfortable with the con- 50 Years Ago - April 25, 1947 MONTROSE APPOINTED MUSIC DIRECTOR Ms. Margaret Merrell of Montrose, until last year director of Women’s Reserve Marine Corps Band has been appointed director of music at Lake Township Schools. A graduate of Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, she plays all band instruments but specializes in the clarinet. After some unknown intruder had killed and carried off several of his mature ducks, Paul Will- iams of Pikes Creek set a steel trap near the body of a dead duck to catch the culprit. On Sunday when he examined the trap he found in it a golden eagle with wing spread of six feet, 10 inches. The eagle was dead and Williams has lost no more ducks. Now playing at Shaver Theatre, “Undercurrent” with Robert Tay- lor, Robert Mitchum and Katherine Hepburn. 40 Years Ago - April 19, 1957 MOTORISTS FINED FOR RECKLESS DRIVING Three Back Mountain motor- ists were arrested and fined $25 each and $5 costs for passing a Kingston Township School bus discharging school children near Harter’s Dairy in Trucksville. All Library staff honors volunteer 'angels' involved with the returned library materials and the process involved with making the books ready for shelving and accessible for the borrowers. Our special thanks go to Cleo, Betty, Rita, June, Carolyn, Shirley, Elda, Jean, Fran, Mary Ann, Ann, Diane, Mae, Agnes, Kathy, Molly, Jane and Rosemary. Each of these volunteers has their special day and time when they do their particular specialties. We appreciate them so much. “Vol- unteers are unpaid, not because they are worthless—but because they are Priceless! New books: “Small Voices” by Robert B. Parker is a novel that is Ellen Machovec, with her children Emily and Thomas. versation as well as the silence between them. Only six weeks earlier they did not know one an- other. Yet now their lives were connected by their new residence. The Meadows Manor was now home for these two women. Six weeks earlier they were strangers. Yet, this Sunday evening their new friendship seemed to be cemented three were traveling on the heavily trafficked four lane highway ap- proaching the bus which was stopped in the far right lane head- ing in the opposite direction. All were unaware that they were vio- lating the new State Law regard- ing overtaking an approaching or approaching a stopped school bus. Mill Street between Main Street and Memorial Highway was posted with one way traffic signs this week. Traffic will not be permitted to enter Mill Street from Memorial Highway but may enter from Main Street. You could get - Whole hams, 59¢ 1b.; Beltsville turkeys, 6-12 Ib. avg., 47¢ lb.; eggs, 53¢ doz.; oranges, doz. 49¢; Heinz ketchup, 14-0z.btl., 25¢; Ocean Spray cran- berry sauce, 2-16 oz cans, 41¢. 30 Years Ago - April 20, 1967 KINGSTON TOWNSHIP LOW- ERS PER CAPITA TAX Kingston Township Board of Supervisors lowered both the per capita tax and millage at their regular meeting last week, easing the tax burden of community resi- dents. Per capita was reduced $5 per head to $2 and millage cut 3 mills to 4.65. Action was taken in anticipation of earned income tax receipts. A series of loud explosions at 11:30 p.m. awakened residents in Kingston Township and Dallas and both galvanizing action-suspense and a complex meditation on mo- rality and mortality, as Spenser’s very future hangs in the balance. Ellis Alves is a bad kid from the ‘hood’ with along, long record; but could he commit murder? “McNally’'s Gamble” by Lawrence Sanders is about Archy McNally, a raffish combination, who is the most delightful and beloved character in the book. He lives a life most people only dream about. He keeps tabs on the rich and famous, while keeping hours only a barfly could love. High drama and high jinks. “The Ordinary Seaman” by in watching the sunset together. As I said, I thought it was an ordinary Sunday evening. How- ever, after watching two womerin the winter season of their lives watch a sunset together, the evening was no longer ordinary for me. Asl observed these two women, I was reminded of the need -for beauty, friendship, belonging, and hope, regardless of one’s season in life. That Sunday evening these two women, unknowingly gave me a special gift. They reminded me that life, is full of beautiful sunrises and sun- sets and that with each new .day there is a new measure of hope. Most of all, I was reminded by their example, that we all need to take time out of our busy lives to embrace the beauty that Sur: rounds us. atl Ellen Machovec, Dallas Employee of Meadows Manor frightened those who are late"in retiring. A car sped along Pionee Avenue and on into Dallas slow ing briefly to toss cherry bombs along the way. Chief Herberf Updyke warns that a loss of life may result from the indiscrimis nate practice and violators wil bé prosecuted x 20 Years Ago - April 21, 1977 LEMMOND PROPOSES LOW RENT HOUSING IN BORO + Dallas Borough solicitor Charles Lemmond will discuss ir} detail a proposed low rent hous? ing project for the elderly with Charles Sickler of the Luzerng TT TR TE TY ~ County Housing Authority beforé Dallas Borough Council enters an agreement with the Authority for construction of the housing facili ties in the borough. ' Sr. Ann Miriam Gallagher, RSMy president of College Misericordia in Dallas announced Tuesday thaf the college has been named the prime contractor for a state trains ing program that will involve ovef $200,000 in funds and will covet a 15-county area of Northeast Pennsylvania. The State contract calls for the college to provid¢ special training for staff person? nel of area agencies on aging that will increase the effectiveness of the delivery of services to the ag} ing in Northeast Pennsylvania ’ Francisco Goldman is an unset} tling and beautiful story about life, death and love. The seaman is Esteban, a 19 year old vetéran of the war in Nicaragua who hag come to America to form the crew of the boat, Urus, with 14 other men. The Urus is a wreck and th¢ men prisoners. y | “Endangered Species” by Net vada Barr begins with the crash of the drug interdiction plane on an isolated Georgia Island. N Park ranger Anna Pigeon is the investigator and involves ;th¢ locked room’ plot and creates a harrowing tale of crimes and dis vided loyalties. - i If you missed The Post - you missed the news! a a a Le a * FJ i 0 » >) 1@®
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers