4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 3, 1998 EDITORIALS County must earn our trust in its 911 system Bowing to the inevitable, the lights are scheduled to switch off at the Back Mountain Communications Center sometime in July, a month or so after the county takes control of emergency calls in this region. We can only hope that prompt service doesn’t follow the local comm center into oblivion. ~ Most emergency and town officials in the Back Mountain would prefer that the local center continue to take calls and dispatch services, given its history of efficient response. They also are realistic to think people won't want indefinitely to pay the $1.25 monthly phone line charge collected by the county while using local tax revenue to support the comm center. But don’t be surprised if your tax dollars are needed in addition to the monthly fees to keep the county system going in the not- too-distant future. That's what happened in Schuylkill County, where receipts from the phone charge come up short of operating expenses, and general county revenues are used to shore up the emergency system. Meanwhile, Berks County manages to run a county-wide system that works with local comm centers, provides them with high-tech equipment, and charges only 97¢ a month. Anyone with knowledge of the Luzerne County scene will unfortunately come to the conclusion that our situation will be much closer to that in Schuylkill County than in Berks. One need look only at the history of county 911 to see why. First, ~ county officials teased local emergency crews with promises of the latest in high-technology accessories that would make response faster and better; things like a fax machine in every police car and ambulance, so directions and other information could be sent on the fly. But, like a radio signal lost in the mountains, both the gadgets and the information never mate- rialized. While the bloated county center will have plenty of computers and expensive office furniture, the local crews get nothing. Then there were added radio towers, viewed as a critical component in the Back Mountain, where “dead spots” some- times block transmissions. But now, there will be no new towers, and we're told dead spots are unavoidable. Meanwhile, the county system gave huge raises to employees and execu- tives whose only apparent skills are to miss budgets and deadlines by as wide a margin as possible, and to hire as many people as necessary to use up all our money. Everyone hopes the county 911 system will be at least as good as the one it replaces — lives depend on it being so. But the county must reverse a record of wastefulness and decep- tion before it can earn the trust and respect the Back Mountain Communications Center gained over its 15-year existence, and the prospects for that seem bleak at the moment. | Publisher's notebook You be the judge; am I a bad parent or a good one by refusing to eat Happy Meals every day so the kids can have all of those homely Teeny Beanie Babies? I used to shrug off comments about how much more difficult it is to be a parent than it used to be. Silly, I thought, when life is so much easier for most ~ people. Why, when I was a kid, we had to walk 10 miles through the snow ... oh, never mind. But really, I think in many ways it’s harder to raise kids in plenty than in want, simply because to maintain any sense of discipline you must say no to more things. When most of the ‘population was struggling, children didn’t expect much, and that’s what they got. My own experience was a cross between the two extremes; we were comfortable by the standards of the day, but my parents, children of the Great Depression, were thrifty enough that I never noticed. I do recall a terrible battle over a pair of high-cut leather boots that I eventually won, then of course hardly wore the spoils. I guess the Big Question is: Are we better off than earlier generations, or do we just spend a lot more of what once would have been saved? My guess is a little of both; there's a widening gap between the haves and wannabes, but our consumer culture is so overwhelming that spending on toys (for children and adults) is more even than incomes. So, getting back to Happy Meals, I confess to two or three trips, with one child or the other, to the Golden Arches, but not a single one on my own. So, you tell me; am I unnecessarily denying my kids their rights as children of the greatest consumer culture in history, or is there some small lesson about self-discipline in a parent who resists the call to buy every craze that comes down the pike? And, is the lesson still valid? Do you agree? Disagree? Editorials are the opinion of the management of The Dallas Post. 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 letters to: The Dallas Post, P.O. Box 366, 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 circum- stances. 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 ? Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Jill Gruver OFFICE MANAGER MEMDCR rd NATIONAL NEWSPAPER EW ASSOCIATION REWSPAPER PRINTED WITH SOV INK] _ Sign of summer. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS Seth's family thankful for memorial service Editor: We are writing this letter to thank the sophomore class of Dallas Senior High School for their thoughfulness in planning and participating in the program they called “A Life, A Celebration” in honor of their late classmate, Seth Linsinbigler. / Although ithas been 17 months since Seth died, these caring young people have not forgotten him, his friendship, or his family. They celebrated his life in a pro- gram of poetry and song and me- morialized him by planting a tree and placing a plaque on the school grounds. We are especially grateful to Mr. Michael Pawlik, Seth's spe- cial friend and_music mentor, to poet. Casey Wagner, to composer Abby Ahmad, to Tyler Morgan, the Reverend William Kennard, Shannon Cosgrove, the girls’ cho- rus and the sophomore class steer- ing committee. The celebration was beautiful, inspirational and healing. Itis a great comfort to know that the loss we feel every day is shared by so many others who were privi- leged to know him. With deepest gratitude, Seth’s aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Post 672 Auxiliary thanks community Editor: On behalf of the Ladies Auxil- iary of the Daddow-Isaac Post in Dallas, I would like to thank ev- eryone in the Back Mountain area for their generosity and participa- tion in the annual distribution of the Disabled Veterans Poppies. . As usual the Back Mountain again has proved it is the place where hearts beat boldly for our veterans in the V.A. Hospitals. To the Borough of Dallas and to Kingston Township thank you a million times over for proclaiming May Poppy Month. We would especially like to praise the BiLo stores in Dallas and Shavertown for their coop- eration in permitting us to stand at their stores. Also to Pickett’'s Charge Res- taurant for letting us kick off the poppy campaign at their restau- rant on May 1 and 2; Jack Snyder, President of Back Mountain Little League for his participation in letting the auxiliary take dona- tions for poppies at the games on the Saturday before Memorial Day; to the parents of the young play- ers for buying the poppies and educating them why the poppies are sold to help veterans in the hospitals. To Dallas, Lake Lehman and Gate of Heaven School districts for helping in the circulation of the poppies to the students. Last but certainly not least to the people at the Memorial Day Parade and the cemetery services for their unselfishness in their contibuting to the young poppy girls. This helps the future genera- tions to become volunteer, where they are treated with respect when - giving of their free time. In closing, | want to say again a whopping thank you from the heart of our hearts at Dallas Le- gion Auxiliary. Susan Stephens : Poppy Chairman Daddow-Isaac Post 672 American Legion Auxiliary WORD ON THE STREET Q.: If you were on a deserted island and could only have three things what would they be? Where asked: McDonalds in Shavertown DOROTHY BRENNAN Dallas "Coffee, prayer book and an umbrella." motor and McDonalds hamburger." of sunscreen." DICK WELTEROTH JACK AND TIM THE STRZELETZ Williamsport JENNINGS FAMILY "Boat, solar-powered Dallas Beaumont "My son, wife and a case "My husband and two children." ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago - June 10,-1938 TRUCKSVILLE FIRE CO. BANS GAMBLING IN HOUSE New house rules, including one barring gambling in the hose house were passed by members of the Trucksville Fire Co. at their meeting Monday evening. Another new rule will limit the use of the building for recreation purposes tomembers of the company. Kurtz Detective Agency was appointed to protect the hall. T.A. Williammee of Liberty, as- sistant superintendent of Tioga County schools was elected su- pervising principal of Dallas Bor- ough schools by a unanimous vote on Wednesday night. He will succeed Harry L. Tennyson, 'su- pervising principal, who will leave July 1 to take a position as head of joint district of Smith Township and Burgettstown Borough in Washington County. 50 Years Ago - June 11, 1948 DALLAS HARDWARE TO BUILD ADDITION In order to expand its lines and keep apace with a growing com- munity, Dallas Hardware & Sup- ply is building a 48'x48’ addition to its store on Church Street. When completed Dallas Hardware & Supply will have a building 110’ long x 48’ wide with a large cellar under the entire structure for warehouse purposes. The arrival of June 1, deadline set by Dallas Borough Council for the installation of septic tanks to prevent raw sewage from entering Toby's Creek found the majority of Main Street business places and homeowners complying. There are still two or three proper- ties where work on sumps and septic tanks have not been started, but informed Council that work will start shortly. 40 Years Ago - Jund 6, 1958 CITIZENS COMPLAIN OF BAD BOROUGH STREETS Deplorable conditions of many streets of Dallas Borough was once again brought up by a delegation of citizens from Sterling Avenue at the Borough's Council meet- ing, Tuesday. Harry N. Burns, Sterling Ave., submitted photos taken after recent wet spell which showed much standing water in the street. A letter from Miners National Bank called attention to the condition at the end of King St., recently opened to through traffic behind the bank parking lot and Norton Avenue. George L. Rice & Son have sold 58 acres of land bordering on Demunds Road at Fernbrook to the Greater Wilkes-Barre Indus- trial Fund for $29,000. The land part of the 200 acre Orchard Farm operated by Mr. Rice and son, Kenneth is well situated for in: dustrial purposes and was pur: chased by the Industrial Fund ih its expanding campaign to attract new industries to the Wyoming Valley area. 30 Years Ago - Junel3, 1968 FORMER DALLAS MAN MURDERED IN CA. - 3 A former Dallas man, Robert Davis, 45 who lived on Davenport Street was shot and killed imran attempted assault on another man, recently in Torrance, Calif. A builder by trade, Davis was killed at a union meeting May 28 when a man attending the meet- ing allegedly fired a bullet which struck him. The assailant appart- ently mistook him for another in- tended victim. Ron Moss, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Moss, East Dallas, has been accepted to represent Youth For Christ of America traveling witha Teen Team sponsored by YFC In- ternational in the countries of Fin- land, Sweden, Holland and- En- gland. The team made up of three young men and two young ladiés ‘will hold meetings in coffee shops, churches and schools rendering vocal and instrumental Seas 20 Years Ago - June 8, 1978 .» LAKE-LEHMAN PROPOSES. : MILL INCREASE Lake-Lehman school directors proposed budget for 1978- 79 shows a 12-mill increase, or ap- proximately $205,000 more in in- come than in this year’s budget. ATuesday morning bomb scare caused Dallas Senior High School to be emptied. According to Dal- las Township Police Chief Cail Miers, a male called informed the high school switchboard operator a bomb had been set in the build- ing and would go off in 10 min- utes. The school was emptied while police searched the pre- mises, nothing was found. +: & ov »
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers