The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 22,1997 5 ‘A Case for | conservation Alene \ I @F- 1:1 On the back of our Buick there is a bumper sticker which reads "No Farms; No Food.” Rarely has @ 2 bumper sticker generated as much interest in those who have seen.it. The American Farmland Trust has captured an essential tryth in those four words. And, you do not have to have an ad- vanced degree to figure out what it means. You just have to take it in and give it a little thought. As Ihave pondered those simple words, I have come to the conclu- @®sion that “No Farms; No Food” is the most basic lesson in environ- mental education. We all must eat to survive. So, knowing where our food comes from and how it arrives on our plates is more than an, intellectual exercise — it is, ultimately, understanding how we fit into the global ecology. A meteorology professor I once knew realized this truth. He used to teach a summer class for chil- @dren. Did he begin by demon- ~strating the formation of clouds or by showing videos of torna- does? No, he began by squeezing orange juice. You see, he knew that natural phenomena would not be understandable to kids who thought that orange juice came out of a carton that was bought at the supermarket. « Yesterday I boiled a whole bunch of apples down to three pints of apple butter. These were not just any apples — they came from a tree in our back yard which oO % Lehman No farms, no food we have tended carefully ever since my father-in-law gave it to us in the early '80s. We put compost around it every few years, prune it every winter, thin the fruit when it “needs it, and worry a lot about insects. Sure, it's easier to go to the store to buy apple butter; but, then I wouldn't get to listen to the gentle “plop, plop” of simmering sauce, smell the cinnamon-fla- vored steam, and generally have the satisfaction of knowing ex- actly where the final product came from. And, it tastes SO good. Do your children think that bagels come from the deli? Pizza or waffles from the freezer? Let- tuce and lemons from the pro- duce section of the grocery? You might be surprised. Do they re- ally understand that the flour out of which a slice of bread is made comes from wheat grown on the plains? Do they (or you) know that a field of canola is a brilliant yellow before it becomes oil in a bottle? Before you assume that it is only children that need to be re- minded of the “No Farms; No Food” truth, let me tell you the real reason that I felt the need to write this article. Last weekend, my husband and I joined most of the other residents of this region in going for a nice drive to see the beautiful fall leaves. Not too far north of here, we got “stuck” in a line of traffic behind a tractor pulling a large wagon filled with silage. At the first available pass- ing zone, cars began whizzing around the tractor, and the first one had the nerve to honk at the driver. We were amazed at this display of rudeness and ignorance. Where did the irritated motorist think his lunch was coming from? Yes, we all need to be reminded of basic truths occasionally. And, there are few that are more basic than “No Farms; No Food.” It is true if you are a meat-and-pota- toes person or a vegetarian. It is true if you are rich or poor. It is true if you grow most of your food yourself or buy it from a store. Once we come to recognize this truth, then we can begin to learn other environmental lessons. Things like soil conservation, air pollution, hazardous wastes, biodiversity, and tree planting strategies begin to make sense. But, if we insist on thinking that we are somehow disconnected from the earth, we will never truly grapple with any of these other problems. I remember in the '60s when people were first contemplating space travel that there were ar- ticles in magazines showing fu- turistic dinner plates with only a few pills on them. Not only were these unrealistic at the time, they gave a false sense of who we as human beings are. Animals need more than vitamins and minerals which might be provided by tech- nology. We need the fiber from vegetables and fruits. We need the protein from ice cream and chicken. We need the calories provided by sugars and starches that come from grains and other farm products. Therefore, I challenge all of us to reconnect with the earth. Let's not just gobble down dinner. Let's think seriously about where it came from and about those who grew it and brought it to us. And, the next time we have a chance, let’s make our own pizza dough or * apple sauce. Simple actions may serve to remind us of our roots in the land and give us an apprecia- tion of deeper ecological connec- tions. “No Farms; No Food.” (continued from page 1) Idetown Fire Company. She told the supervisors she received a @ciier two months ago from the Harveys Lake Fire Company in- forming Idetown Fire Co. that if they hooked up to dry hydrants within the borough, they will be treated as criminals. “They said we'd be charged with criminal mischief,” said Wentzel, who wanted to inform the board i) before her scheduled meeting with the Back Mountain Fire & Ambu- lance Association. Wentzel said the borough owns the fire hy- drants, the fire company does not. Also, the board received a six ® White’ recyclable pick-up October 25 Harveys Lake Borough announces there will be a Special Dumpster available on Sat., Oct. 25, for the collection of “white” recyclables. These white items include refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters. In addition to these metal products, the borough will also take all other types of household items. The dumpster is at the borough garage, West Point Avenue, across from the Lake Noxen Elementary School and isopen from 10a.m. to 12 noon. This special dumpster and the regular dumpster will be available for October and November only and then will be elosed until spring. If there are any questions concerning what items are acceptable, please call either the borough garage at 639-2070 or the borough office at 639-2113. Coming to Your Neighborhood! For Pick-Up Call 823-4191 Help The Salvation Army Truck Pick Up Service has made special arrangements for the stationing of a truck at the Pendragon Shopping Plaza (Formerly Isaacs GMC), Rt. 309, Trucksville on Saturday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Donations ~ of Clothing, Shoes and ‘Household Items are needed and appreciated very much! e Tax Receipts are Available ‘All Donations Help Support The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center Help Us Help Others page answer to the 18 questions they asked Luzerne County Emer- gency Services Department con- cerning the new enhanced 911 countywide system. David Sutton, chairman of the board, said the correspondence answered all of their questions to satisfaction. Lehman Township meets the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. Scholars (continued from page 1) Michael Casey, who lives in Hunlock Creek, has decided to apply to many different schools including the Massachusetts In- stitute of Technology and Princeton. This year’s senior class president, Michael is not sure just what his major will be at college, but his sense of business tells him that courses in computer sci- ence and business classes will be useful in whatever area he de- cides upon. Michael has already distinguished himself by winning. a scholarship to The Pennsylva- nia Governor's School, a five-week course in International Studies held at The University of Pitts- burgh. While there, Michael learned to speak Japanese and took a field trip to visit several businesses in Washington, D.C. Having already passed basic courses in economics at Wilkes University in the Young Scholar's ‘Program, Michael feels he would like to pursue a career having to do with economics. “I took the courses full of theory that were kind of boring,” explains Michael. “Now I'd really like to major in economics at M.I.T. and have some really exciting classes.” Until then, Michael finds ex- citement in school theater pro- ductions. As a member of the freshman class at Lehman, he was cast in the part of Captain Hook in Peter Pan. “It's fun to be ~ a little evil once in a while,” he said with a laugh. This sense of humor also landed him the role of Professor Kokintz in The Mouse That Roared, a production staged in Michael's junior year. “I really enjoyed being the eccentric, nutty scientist,” said the student of many talents who says he doesn’t know what play he'll be working on this year. Although he admits he is “not much of an athlete,” Michael doesn’t mind lending his support to the team by serving as a prop manager with the band. “The prop managers are responsible for the making sure the band sets up in its correct formation,” he says. “I It Pay$ to advertise with Post | Classifieds Call 675-5211 guess you could call me a roadie of sorts.” While learning the im- portance of being a “team player,” His job with the band and the activities he participates in have given Michael a keen sense of humor. “A person needs to have a sense of humor in this world,” he says. “Otherwise you'll go nuts — like that nutty scientist!” Science, chemical science to be exact, is on the mind of Ryan Mahle of Pikes Creek. As a Merit Scholarship Commended Stu- “Itservesasan indi ator to Cas dent, Ryan has his sights focused on going to Penn State or Lehigh University for engineering. Also a member of the Young Scholar's program at Wilkes, Ryan enjoys working with math and chemi- cals. “It’s a love I've had for a long while,” he said. When not experi- menting in the chemistry lab, Ryan finds enjoyment playing the trom- bone with the Lehman band. “Be- ing in the band for the last six years has taught me leadership and time management skills and has taught me the importance of responsibility.” Samuel “Dusty” Rhodes feels responsible for the future genera- tion of students at Lehman and spends time tutoring young sci- entists in chemistry at the el- ementary level. This young man, who has compiled a list of about 10 schools he’s interested in at- tending, wants to study at a lib- + eral arts school and may be think- ing about becoming a teacher. President of the band, Dusty has fun playing the trumpet as well as several sports including soccer, _ basketball and volleyball. Amem- ber of the National Honor Society 7 who also took classes at Wilkes University and Penn State, Dusty ~ is described by his mom as “being . interested and wanting to do well,~, in everything he does.” kod Joann White of Harvey's Lake is also interested in many differ- gnt things but right now, her mind - is on field hockey. sure just yet what I want to do im. school or where I want to go,” she;~ admits. “But one thing's for sure; wherever I go, I want to be able to, le; continue playing hockey.” Joann , has been the Lehman goal keeper since the seventh grade and her’ passion for the game can be heard - \ in her voice. “I've been thinking about ap- plying to schools that have good: field hockey programs like William: _- and Mary in Virginia or Brown in Rhode Island. I definitely want to, - get out of the state and see some . of the rest of the world.” And she's hoping her love of hockey along with her ability in science gets her = there. “Maybe I'll get into a pre- med program, something having to do with the sciences, biology in particular,” puses will have to wait until hockey. season is over. “Hockey players “I'm not really 5 she muses. But for right now, visits to college cam- >. get called to campuses for official J visits so I'll wait for them to call on me,” says Joann, who plans to take along several tapes she is making of her on-field abilities. “As long as I get to play,” she says. “That s all that’s important right’ now.’ 2! Joann also is a member of the, track team and has run both the : half mile and has been part of the two-mile relay team. She also tus tors second graders in Spanish’ and is treasurer of the Student’ Council. i ' 1] Hl E) L] 1 [] i Principal Oliver knows the sig-.* nificance of these scores is impor-. .. tant to the students and to the- school district. “These academic-, awards bring honor and distinc-, _ tion to the students and to our school district,” he said. "1. am; very proud of them all.” ; oc ENTER OUR FALL FOLIAGE PHOTO CONTEST GREAT PRIZES! (DALLAS PHOTO SHOP » + 675-8800) come out on top. have participated in it over Your ad in this section will be especially well read because of the intense interest in this event. Don’t miss out — we can help you make a special ad for this special occasion. the years. Call 675-5211 today to reserve your space! t’s always a big game when Dallas and Lake-Lehman meet to play for the coveted “Old Shoe” trophy. This ==> game is even more special — it’s the 50th time the trophy will be up for grabs, and both teams will want to More important, the entire Back Mountain will get together to celebrate this sports milestone, and The Dallas Post — which has covered the schools and the game from the beginning — will produce a special tabloid commemorative section. We'll have capsule descriptions of each game, photos, and interviews with the people who started the tradition, and who Publication Date: Wednesday, October 29, 1997 Ad Deadline: Friday, October 24, 1997 The Dallas Post The Best News in the Back Mountain — Since 1889 ps {0 ‘ PE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers