4 _ The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 8, 1997 EDITORIALS Adult involvement is one antidote to youth drug use The tragedy of drug abuse became extraordinarily clear last week with the death of Carrie Evans at her home in Dallas Township. The county coroner thinks she died while using heroin that was five times more powerful than the drug has been in the past. If it turns out he’s right, she’s the third person from the Back Mountain to die that way in a little more than a year, and it's safe to assume there are many more heroin users around, who've been lucky enough to stay alive. It's impossible to know what forces drove the 21-year-old mother of two to use drugs to escape from her daily life. But we do know some things that help young people avoid the trap of drug use and abuse, things like strong relationships in their families, and parents who pay attention to what their kids are doing and who they're friends are. It is no surprise that studies find children of supportive parents do better academically, and are less likely to develop self-destructive behavior. But let's not stop there. As much as Hillary Clinton's book, It Takes a Village, has been ridiculed by political opponents, it contains the essential truth that all adults in a society must take part in raising productive, responsible children to whom the next generation's welfare will be handed. That means we must pay attention to other children as well as our own, and take action when we see someone headed in the wrong direction. That can be as simple a thing as taking a child aside when we witness alarming behavior, instead of talking about it behind his or her back. If we see the same thing again, it's our duty to tell the parents, so that at the very least the people who should care most about a child's behavior are aware of it. Children, for purposes of this discussion, is a term that includes anyone who seems incapaple of controlling him or herself. This is not a call for everyone to become nags, or righteous do- gooders. But if we are to have a safe and sane society, we'd better all be prepared to do-our duty, and sometimes a little more when the situation calls for it. Publisher's notebook It's called the Telecommunications Revolution, and some- times I feel like I lost. It all started with the breakup of Ma Bell, and, like a rotary phone rolling down a mountainside, it's been gaining momentum ever since. The latest episode came to light when an outfit called WorldCom, which you can be excused for thinking is a Korean religion, offered $10 gazillion for MCI, which is about 20 time's WorldCom's size. Of course, the offer was in overvalued WorldCom stock, which will become even less valuable if it issues new shares to make the purchase. The business pages have been filled with stories about this unlikely marriage, and WorldCom's chairman, a former used car sales- man and high school basketball coach who is fond of cowboy boots and condescending remarks about his competitors. Mean- while AT&T, the last vestige of the once powerful Bell empire, can't seem to figure out what it should do next, and doing nothing is now the worst business sin. What does this have to do with my own experience in the brave new teleworld? Maybe not much, but I'll bet most of you have shared encounters like these. 1. I'm trying to reach a firm in California, but I don’t know the area code or which part of the state it’s in. Since the Left Coast now has about 103 area codes, I take a chance and call one near L.A. Wrong. But I do learn the correct area code, and call information there. Surprise, surprise, a real live human being answers the call. But it turns out she’s colder than the digital voice usually encountered, and when she tells me she has no listing, she hangs up before I can ask her to try another. I guess we're limited to one question a call these days. 2. 1 call a utility which shall remain nameless. The operator refers my call to an extension, but no one answers, and there's no voice mailbox. Keep in mind, I've told her it's important I talk to someone. I call again, explain what happened and am referred to a different extension, which has no person but a voice mailbox. I call again, she tries another line, but says, “From here I can't tell if you'll get voice mail or a person.” And guess what's next — more nightly calls from long- distance companies trying to sign you up for their LATA service. You don’t know what that is? Well, its Caveat Emptor in the marketplace of the 90’s. Maybe these are all just schemes to sell Caller ID. Do you agree? Disagree? Editorials are the opinion of the management of The Dallas Post, and are written by the editor unless otherwise indicated. We welcome your opinion on contemporary issues in the form of letters to the editor. If you don't write, the community may never hear a contrasting point of view. Send or bring letters to: The Dallas Post, 607 Main Rd., Dallas PA 18612. Please include your name, address and a daytime phone number so that we may verify authenticity. We do not publish anonymous letters, but will consider withholding the name in exceptional circumstances. We reserve the right to edit for length and grammar. : 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 Jessica Appolo ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kylie Shafferkoetter REPORTER Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER nant ee vu 2) PRINTED WITH NIN Gu th ! SOY INK i" NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ENN ANIA TBLISHIRS ASSOCIATIO Last snack before the big trip. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS | Walktoberfest walkers thank sponsors Dear Editor, Just a note of thanks from two of Dallas’ walkers in Sunday's Walktoberfest, America's Walk for Diabetes, around Harveys Lake. As walkers, we got to enjoy a “summer” fall day and the pictur- The economic vViewpol Howard Grossman What is called suburbia in Northeastern Pennsylvania are the outposts of the Back Mountain and Mountaintop of Luzerne County and the Abingtons of Lack- awanna Caounty. These areas are primarily residential addresses (bedroom communities) with some small shopping centers and strip commerce near by, but without significant economic development. They are the bastions of resi- dential life which flowered in the 1960s and 1970s in suburban Philadelphia, suburban Boston, suburban Washington, DC and other metropolitan communities and areas across the nation. They are not like the “edge city” which was highlighted in a compelling book by the same name by Joel Gerreau, but they are significant, producing school age communi- ties of multiciplicty which con- stantly seeks significant tax based resources to support the income needs of school districts. These areas are the growth sec- tors of the Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Metropolitan Area. They generally lack updated and mod- ernized comprehensive planning, and should be focusing more on cooperative relationships between and among the municipalities in these parts of the region. They have established neighborhoods which date back to post World War II, but they also contain some urbanized boroughs which were Library news pe Nancy Kozemchak The Back Mountain Memorial Library will be experiencing some major changes in operations be- ginning Wednesday, October 15. The entrance to the library will be changed to the new side entrance. The children’s room will be closed until further notice. Seating will be limited to the reading room. The circulation procedure will be changed. The main library func- tion will continue as near normal as possible. The library board of directors and the library staff ask for your patience during this tran- sition time. The Untied Way Day of Caring was held September 11 with the spirit of volunteerism everywhere esque autumn views. But, we would not have raised as much without the support of our local Sponsors. Therefore, we would like to ex- tend © heartfelt thanks to Valentine's Jewelry, Gino's Shoes, RoseAnn Crisci of Sweet Valley Veterinary Clinic, Ellie Gerchak and John Oswalt. On behalf of your community, thank you. Truday Clemson and Sue Oswalt Back Mountain should start planning now for the future well developed prior to World War II. They are the homes of some of the finest leaders in the region. They are part of the cornerstone of the region’s future and are be- ing connected to the more urban centers of the region through ex- tensive rail-to-trail and greenway corridors, an element which has recently taken hold in Northeast- ern Pennsylvania. “i etl Land use and zoning decision making are important compo: nents to the future of these sub- urban areas. Other major issues include the aforementioned tax balancing as well as, in some cases, multiple numbers of water supply organizations, transpor- tation needs and issues due to buiild up of the suburban nature of the communities, recognition of the need for a close relationship between major urban centers and the suburanizing of these areas and others. The need tolook 10 to 20 years ahead and help deter- mine what these areas may be like at that point in time is an important contribution which this generation of local governmental leaders as well as interested citi- zens should promote and join to- gether in a partnership to encour- age long-range planning. The municipalities in the Back Mountain, those in the Mountaintop area, and those in the greater Clarks Summit area need to join together in some type of collaborative process. A Coun- cil of Governments already exists in Mountaintop. More emphasis should be placed in all of the suburban areas on planning, zon- ing, and other cooperative tech- niques to enhance appropriate growth as well as the preservation and conservation of important natural resources. Municipalities surrounding urban centers have a special re- sponsibility to a cooperative rela- tionship with the urban commu- nities. How this occurs is a key to the region's future, but special attention should be placed upon what can occur in the next three years as Northeastern Pennsylva-. nia closes in on the year 2000. If ; each local government would take upon itself the responsibility to achieve an updated plan based upon cooperative partnering, it would go a significant way toward appropriate growth and manage- ment as well as the protection of natural resources and land con- servation. Many tools are cur- rently available to help with this process. They include the many land trusts which already are in existence plus a relatively new organization, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Conservancy. County planning commissions can be used to help promote the type of planning process neces- sary for the management of growth. With extensive work be- ing considered by the urban com- munities of Wilkes-Barre, Scran- ton, Hazleton and elsewhere, there is a great need to bring modern- ized planning techniques to sub- urban Northeastern Pennsylvnaia, coordinated with urban planning functions as well. These steps will enable the whole region to be competitive in the 21st Century. Howard Grossman is Exeuctive Director of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Pehn- sylvania. He lives in Dallas. The United Way Day of Caring huge success throughout the Wyoming Valley. More than 1,100 volunteers worked, many in the rain, on more than 90 different service projects. Volunteers from Commonwealth Telephone Company spent time at the library and painted a book store room and the hallway in the basement. The library supplied the paint and supplies and coffee and doughnuts as well as lunch were served. Special “Day of Car- ing” shirts were worn by the vol- unteers. These volunteer service projects are very much appreci- ated by the businesses they serve. New books at the library: “Rosabeth Moss Kanotron the frontiers of management” has the renowned management guru pre- senting a sweeping look back across the changing landscape of business—what has worked well, what hasn't and what businesses still need to learn—as well as a penetrating look forward at the challenges of leadership and in- dpe» novation still to be met. “Star Bright” is a Christmas story by Andrew M. Greeley. Fa- ther Greeley, a priest who is also a bestselling novelist, tells a story as warm as a loving heart—a book to cherish. : It’s beginning to look a lot like an American Christmas: irritable, unpleasant relatives, horrible weather, miserable travel, and one Jack Flanigan, who is reluctantly but totally falling in love with— Odessa. “Dogs Never Lie About Love” by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson dwells on reflections on the emotional world of dogs. Dogs fill our lives with love, our heart with devotion and our minds with wonder, yet their com- plex emotional lives have remained unexplored since Darwin 125 years ago. Now, the author turns to the species that first brought him to his love of animals as a child. ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - Oct. 13, 1937 COUNTY SUPS. APPROVE NEW BRIDGE Almost as important to Dallas motorists as the promised Lu- zerne By-pass, is the proposed bridge across the Susquehanna River at Union Street, Kingston, plans for which were approved by Luzerne County Commissioners this week. The bridge would be the crowning achievement in the plans for a super highway which would put Dallas in a strategic position to cash in on heavy traffic which would be routed through town. Mrs. Frank Neyhard of Fernbrook, Dallas Township will succeed her late husband as the Republican nominee for Justice of the Peace in the General Eléc- tion according to plans made this week immediately following Neyhard’s sudden death. He was seeking re-election with Squire John Q. Yaple as running mate. 50 Years Ago - Oct. 17, 1947 FIRE COMPANIES BATTLE STUBBORN FLAMES Daniuel C. Roberts and Henry M. Laing Fire Companies battled for an hour and a half to extin- guish stubborn flames at the A.L." Stull home, Alderson. Three fire- men were injured during the blaze and an unidentified smoke chaser narrowly escaped serious injury when a hall ceiling collapsed im-' mediately after he left the area. Damage is estimated at $8,000. Under the leadership of Jane Brown and Charles Nuss Jr., Le- hman Township High School went $78.30 over its announced goal of $1,500 in its recent magazine subscription campaign. You could get - Porterhouse steak, 59¢ lb.; center cut pork chops, 69¢ 1b.; McIntosh apples, 3 1bs., 29¢; Ideal coffee, 1 1b. can, 45¢; Lifebuoy Soap, 3 cakes, 28¢ 40 Years Ago - Oct. 18, 1957 POLL SHOWS MAJORITY FOR UNION DISTRICT A sampling of public opinion spotted over the five school dis- tricts which will vote on Union District in the November election, shows a majority for Union. Rea- sons given are almost identical: financial, and educational advan- tage with less pulling and hauling in a seven member board than in’ a 25 member directorate. Reisdents of Dallas, Franklin and Kingston Township and Dallas Borough agree that education will not cost less, that it is steadily rising to meet increased salaries and overhead. John Beagle, is suffering 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital as the. result of a gas explosion at his Tastee Freeze plant on Memorial Highway. The blast, which touched off the devasting fire Monday, destroyed a business property which insurance had been allowed to expire. Explosion rocked Fernbrook and hurled - Beagle through a plate glass win- dow. \ 30 Years Ago - Oct. 12, 1967 THE KYTTLES CELEBRATE 60 YEARS TOGETHER Things are beginning to hap- To-" pen around “Olde Dallas”. night another important rehearsal for the Susquicentennial Variet- ies cast. Tomorrow evening will . be a busy one for College Miseri- cordia campus. Susquicentennial +. committee there has planned two big events: a turkey dinner and college dance. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kyttle, ; Outlet, celebrated their 60th wed- ding anniversary on Oct. 15. On’: the same date, Mrs. Kyttle marked her 82nd birthday. The couple: have four children; nine grand-. children and seven great-grand-. children. 20 Years Ago - Oct. 13, 1977 FRANK O'CONNELL SEEKS A . SEAT IN SENATE “I have no plank, no platform, no promises, just an ear and open door and will continue to conduct’ this office on a fulltime basis,”” stated Rep. Frank J. O'Connell last week as he announced his intent to seek election to the State. O'Connell is making a. Senate. bid for the seat currently held by T. Newell Woods in the 20th Sena- torial District. Wood after many years of public service is retiring.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers