4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 22, 1998
EDITORIALS
Energy choice may be
better, but it's not perfect
Pennsylvania is rushing pell-mell into deregulation of energy
providers, but there are already signs that “energy choice”
holds pitfalls as well as benefits.
In the Midwest, a stretch of hot weather led to electricity
shortages and wholesale prices as much as 100 times normal
‘when demand outstripped supply. While energy users may
contract for a fixed price, suppliers who lack their own gener-
ating plants are at the mercy of those who do, and it is to be
expected that some will fail. That is the normal scheme of
things in a free market, but it’s one thing for consumers to buy
gasoline at a different gas station because their old one went
belly up, it’s quite another to find you suddenly lost access to
power, or at least to power at a price you can afford.
Gov. Ridge may see energy deregulation as similar to break-
ing up the AT&T monopoly on phone service, but it’s not really
the same. For one thing, telephone companies don’t deal with
a product they produce, they simply carry other people’s
messages wherever they go. A shortage would come only if
people stopped talking on the phone, which could happen if
enough of us take to the Internet for communication. But that
would simple mean long-distance companies would have to
fight harder for our business.
Electricity (and soon gas) is a different story. Price gouging
instead of stiff competition may be in store if supplies don’t
meet demand. This is not to mention the questionable wisdom
of giving incentives to produce and sell more power, and this
make more pollution.
Competition is usually better than monopoly, but it may be
wise to take baby steps before jumping in with both feet.
Publisher's notebook
Ah, summertime, and the living is ... hectic! Whatever
happened to those “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?” If they
ever existed, they've been swamped by baseball, softball,
summer camps and assorted sundry other commitments. No
wonder we take summer vacations; it’s the only way to get away
from those endless summer activities. (Get it, “endless sum-
mer.” Oh, well.)
We've belonged to the Newberry Country Club for the past
several years, under the assumption it’s a lot easier and
cheaper to swim in someone else’s pool than our own. I still
believe that, but with all the distractions so far this season, we
might as well be flushing the membership fee down the toilet.
At least we've been playing golf, but that’s food for another
column. :
If this sounds like complaining, it’s really not. When I was a
kid (I'm old enough to begin sentences that way), there was
precious little to do besides skip stones. Why, stones had
hardly been invented at that time, I tell my kids. We did,
however, live only an hour from the beach, so occasional trips
to the shore were a summer treat. Nowadays, our kids can
choose from enough activities to make their heads spin, and
our pocketbook shrink. It seems there are camps for everything
from acrobatics to the zither, each costing $75 to $120 a week.
So, all you need is money to keep your children occupied until
the most important summer holiday for adults, the start of
school.
LEGISLATORS!
DIRECTORY
Federal Officials
Representative Paul E.
Kanjorski (PA 11th District)
- (Democrat)
- Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200
- Washington: (202) 225-6511
State Officials
State Sen. Charles D.
Lemmond
(Republican)
(717) 675-3931.
22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memorial
Hwy., Dallas PA 18612-1231
Lemmond’s district includes the
Back Mountain.
State Rep. George Hasay
10 E. South St., Wilkes-Barre PA (Republican)
18701-2397 287-75050r 542-7345 0r474-2276
; or 477-3752
or 2429 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515 144 North Mountain Boulevard,
Mountaintop PA 18707
Hasay’s district encompasses:
Harveys Lake, Lehman Township,
Jackson Township, Lake Town-
ship, Franklin Township, Ross
Township, and Dallas Township's
north voting district.
Senator Arlen Specter
(Republican)
Wilkes-Barre: 826-6265
Washington: (202) 224-4254
116 S. Main S., Wilkes-Barre PA
18701
State Rep. Phyllis Mundy
(Democrat)
283-9622 or 655-3375
Suite 113, 400 Third Avenue,
Kingston PA 18704
Dallas Borough, Dallas Township
except for the north voting district,
and Kingston Township.
Senator Rick Santorum
(Republican)
120 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
Washington: (202) 224-6324
Fax: (202) 228-4991
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Include a name and phone number where you can be reached.
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
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A Case for
consggyation
AN 0 CA I OF TY
During the pastyear, the Penn-
sylvania 21st Century Environ-
ment Commission has worked on
a draft copy of a set of recommen-
dations to submit to Governor
Tom Ridge. Their charge, by ex-
ecutive orderonduly 1, 1997, was
to “recommend methods and poli-
cies toimprove the environmental
quality of the Commonwealth and
measure the results, while allow-
ing for enhanced economic and
social progress.” A select group of
40 people ranging from the heads
of various departments in state
government to industry leaders to
representatives of conservation
organizations and environmental
educators toiled together without
pay to produce the final docu-
ment which is due in Governor
Ridge’s hands on September 15,
1998.
On July 1, I attended an open
house at the Woodlands in Wilkes-
Barre. It was the last in a series of
such forums across the state. And,
it occurred only 10 days prior to
the end of the comment period on
the draft document that had been
released in June. If had not been
, on the board of an environmental
organization and also had a friend
who works for the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP),
I am sure that I would not have
known about this meeting or
gained a copy toreview. Since one
part of the charge to the commis-
sion in the executive order was to
“Involve the citizens of the Com-
monwealth” in this process, I have
serious concerns about the demo-
cratic aspects of the final product.
I suppose that I could give you
details about the report itself, but
I would much rather see the state
put a copy in the mailbox of every
household in Pennsylvania. Then,
Bird house in the wetlands at Frances Slocum State Park. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek.
PA’s environment
in the 21st Century
I would like to see a personal
invitation extended to all citizens
to become involved in the many
future actions and decisions that
will result in the implementation
of this report.
It is my experience that the
audience at open houses and town
meetings is made up of those with
very narrow agendas or those who
can afford to skip work (or, in
some cases, those who are paid by
their employer!) to attend. A com-
mission like the 21st Century’
Environment Commission desper-
ately needs input from people of
all ages, classes, and occupations.
When the very first person who
stands up to speak during a com-
ment session expresses the well-
rehearsed belief that this is all a
conspiracy for the United Nations
to “take over the world” (as The
Brain would say), it is obvious
that productive discussion of sub-
stantive issues will be difficult if
not impossible. I kept wishing
that some 15-year-old kid (none
were there) would get up and talk
about the difficulties of living in
an inner-city neighborhood where
heat and air pollution contribute
to the family’s respiratory health
problems.
By and large, the report of the
commission is well presented. It
is sufficiently “pro-environment”
that realtors and builders turned
out in large numbers to express
their reservations. It also makes
mining companies nervous about
future regulations. But, there are
several problems that need atten-
tion before this document will have
any real influence on the improve-
ment of our environment and
many of these problems relate
-directly to citizen involvement.
If poorer citizens, professional
educators, researchers, lawyers,
and interested volunteers are to
be involved on a real on-going
basis in such planning and as-
sessment, their time must be hon-
ored with appropriate pay. We
cannot continue to assume that
everyone has the luxury of time to
devote to good causes. For in-
stance, professors are the perfect
persons to be involved in deter-
mining the criteria on which as-
sessment of progress should be
based, but they should be given
summer fellowships so that they
can afford to devote their full time
to this endeavor.
Another item that must be ad-
dressed before this document pro-
duces significant results is the
long-term commitment of our state
government. Citizens have long
been way ahead of the legislators
and leaders in terms of commit-
ment to a clean environment.
Somehow, public officials tend to
talk about such things when an
election is coming up or when the
economy is booming and they feel
that we can “afford it.”
What they have not yet under-
stood is that Pennsylvania citi-
zens want to honor the state con-
stitution which states: “The people
have a right to clean air, pure
water, and to the preservation of
the natural, scenic, historic and
esthetic values of the environ-
ment. Pennsylvania’s public natu-
ral resources are the common
property of all of the people, in-
cluding generations yet to come.
As trustees of these resources,
the Commonwealth shall conserve
and maintain them for the ben-
efits of all the people.”
It is time for us to make our
views known and our voices heard.
The next century will only be as
good as our planning for it. Phone
717-772-4770 or log on to http: /
/www.21stcentury.state.pa.us
and ask to be sent the final report.
Ask how you can become involved
in the process. Make it clear that
you are unhappy that you were
not consulted earlier. Let's all work
to make the 21st century in Penn-
sylvania one in which people,
plants and animals can live har-
moniously together.
Q. Where.do you find the most Back Mountain
news and photos each week?
A. Only in The Dallas Post
ONLY
YESTERDAY
60 Years Ago - July 29, 1938
TOLL BETWEEN DALLAS AND
NOXEN IS ELIMINATED
A little more than $350 has
been raised by Henry M. Laing
Fire Co. in its drive to collect
$1,500 to clear off its debts and to
provide for maintenance. Volun-
teer solicitors will meet tonight in
the hose house to make their sec-
ond report of the campaign.
Thirty five telephone sets in
Noxen homes have been converted
into dial sets and connected with
Harveys Lake exchange, Mike
Kuchta, manager of Common-
wealth Telephone Co. announced
this week. As a result of the
changing phones from
Centermoreland to the Noxen ex-
change the former toll charge be-
tween Dallas and Noxen has been
eliminated and calls from Dallas
or Harveys Lake to any of the 35
homes will be free.
50 Years Ago - Jully30, 1948
LESTER SQUIRE BECOMES
LEHMAN PRINCIPAL
Lester B. Squire of Nicholson,
assistant supervisor of Wyoming
County Schools and a former prin-
cipal of Lehman Schools was
elected principal at a meeting of
Lehman School Board on Tues.
Squire was one of 15 applicants
who applied for the position left
vacant by H.O. Hendricks’ resig-
nation to become principal of
Millersburg School.
The Executive Board of Back
Mountain Memorial Library meet-
ing last Tuesday heard Henry
Peterson, treasurer, report that
receipts from the Library's two
day auction will exceed $4,500.
Board voted to buy five U.S. Sav-
ings Bonds until conditions are
better for expansion. This makes
a total of seven bonds held in a
special fund by the Library Asso-
ciation to meet any future emer-
gency and growth.
40 Years Ago - July 25, 1958
POSTAL STAMP PRICE :
INCREASED TO 4¢
It will take a four cent stamp to
carry your letter next Friday and
seven cents instead of six cents if
you send it air mail. Postcards
will take three cent postage. Any-
thing postmarked before July 31
at mimdnight will be delivered at
the old rate.
Back Mountain Little League
All-Stars will clash with a strong
Plains nine at Plains this after-
noon for the district champion-
ship. By virture of four wins over
St. Therese’s National, Newport,
Kingston and Ashley (last year’s
district champs), the local lads
now go in for the big one. No team
in the history of the Back Moun-
tain Little League has gone this
far in playoffs and these boys
have made the people of the com-
munity proud of them.
30 Years Ago - Aug. 1, 1968
THE DENDLERS CELEBRATE
64 YEARS TOGETHER
One of the high points of the
Aug. 3-4 Jonathan R. Davis Fire
Co. Horse Show this weekend will
be the awarding of a Shetland
pony as a gate prize at 7 p.m.
Sunday. Horse Show officials
announce that admission tickets
are numbered and the winner
must be present in order to claim
this prize. Other gate prizes will
be awarded during the show both
Saturday and Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Dendler,
will observe their 64th wedding
anniversary at their home in
Ruggles, Aug. 4. They were mar-
ried in New York. They have been
residents of Ruggle for 58 years.
20 Years Ago - July 27, 1978
HARVEYS LAKE TO BUILD
RECREATION CENTER
In a meeting last Thursday
“continued” from July's official
meeting the Harveys Lake Bor-
ough Council awarded a contract
for construction of a recreation
building, received a pair of amend-
ments to the franchise proposal of
Back Mountain Cable TV -and
heard a PennDOT representative
discuss the state’s plans for elimi-
nating the winter's ice problem.
County wide “reinspection” be-
gun recently by Luzerne County
Assessors Office has drawn mixed
revues in the Back Mountain.
While the program begun under
the direction of Luzerne County
Assessor Thomas Garrity has been
generally referred to as a reas-
sessment, Garrity emphasized
that is is instead merely a
“reinspection”.
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