4 The Dallas Post 9 EDITORIALS Dallas, PA Wednesday, January 27, 1999 Just like Brian Gieda, “we can all be heroes ! y Brian Gieda of Trucksville is the kind of guy we don’t hear : “enough about these days. The 18-year-old college student didn’t hit a record home run or score the winning touchdown. «And he didn’t break into anyone’s house or steal a car, either. ‘Instead he did what most of us like to think we would do in -.:similar circumstances, came to the aid of the victim of a crime - “when there was no one else around to do the job. The Dallas Borough Council invited Brian and his family to ' its last meeting to honor him for his good deed. “We need the citizens,” said Chief of Police Jack Fowler. “We can be only as good as they are.” While the chief doesn’t recommend that everyone chase after a thief the way Brian did, he suggests we can all pay close attention if we see or suspect wrongdoing, getting a car's license plate number and an accurate descrip- tion of the person and vehicle, and telling police as soon as practicable. ’ The chief is right — our communities reflect our values, our commitment, ultimately ourselves. When someone looks the other way, or “doesn’t want to get involved” — one of the most feckless statements anyone can make — they are shirking their responsibility to neighbors, their families, and to themselves. ‘Can it be a risk to get involved. Certainly, although it's seldom of great import. But, what thing of value comes without STAT EET AT TTT RTE WT Re LCE Ea EE AES | About letters, columns and editorials FASE RN risk, and what reward worth having do we earn for cowardice? 535 clowns beats 1 dictator For all the foolishness and partisanship at center stage under the Capitol dome lately, we can be thankful that we have 535 representatives, admittedly of varied quality, calling the shots instead of one ruthless dictator. The impeachment trial may be embarrassing and unseemly, but it’s only a tiny wrinkle in a democratic system that is like a children’s toy that can be crumpled up, then springs back good as new when released. We voters have the most vital role in repairing our government's many flaws with our election-day choices. We need to remember that next time an election comes around and we're tempted to slough off our responsibility. Publisher's notebook In case you haven't heard, let me be the first to tell you that Scranton is on the lookout for a new logo and slogan that best illustrate the city. Now, just in case you haven't been keeping up with the doings “up the line,” here’s a brief recap of recent events. Once known as the Electric City, since it was the first to have electrified street lights, Scranton-has since fallen on harder times. While many people think the Mall at Steamtown symbol- izes Scranton’s rebirth, other things fall a little short. There's the little matter of near bankruptcy, which may become real in a few months. To solve the problem, the city decided to tax commuters who work in the city for the privilege of driving around the potholes. Speaking of the streets, the road crews went home at 6 p.m. last Thursday, and the resulting mess still hasn't been cleaned up. The mayor said it was because they wanted to wait ‘til the storm ended, but we all know the city couldn’t afford to pay its workers. Oh, and the trash didn’t get picked up, either. Speaking of workers, the city council had to bypass the mayor to pass a budget that cuts 16 people from the incredibly bloated payroll. Speaking of the mayor, he’s best known for breaking into song at the slightest provocation, but the voters love him (maybe because he won't lay off anybody) and keep returning him to office. Now that you know the context, here are a few ideas: Logo: Light bulb dangling by thin wire from street light. Slogan: Scranton - the lights haven't gone off . . yet. Logo: Seven city workers looking into sinkhole. Slogan: Scranton - underneath, we have a heart of gold. Logo: Large black dot. Slogan: Scranton - come study our fiscal black hole. the largest in the East. Logo: Mayor singing in front of pile of garbage bags. Slogan: Scranton - he’s no lady and he’s not fat, so it ain't over yet. The Dallas Post attempts to publish opinions on a variety of topics +*" in many forms. x Editorials, which are the opinion of the managment of The Post, =| appear on the editorial page and are written by the editor unless | otherwise indicated. Any artwork represents the opinion of the J cartoonist, and columns are the opinion of the author. Wy Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, subject to .4 the following guidelines: “ * Letters should not exceed 500 words. * No writer may have more than one letter published during a 30- day period, except as a reply to another letter. * Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a telephone number for verification. * Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear threat to the writer. * The Post retains the right to accept or reject any letter, and to edit letters for grammar and spelling, as well as to eliminate any libel, slander or objectionable wording. In addition to letters, we welcome longer pieces that may run as columns. The author or subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be the prime consideration when selecting material for publication. The Dallas Post Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 717-675-5211 Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER "Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Jessica Appolo ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kylie Shafferkoetter REPORTER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER ri PRINTED WITH PENNSYLVANIA SOY INK - Member NEWSIAPER A brisk ride through new-fallen snow. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. A Case for consgi ation Alene N. Case When most people think of water pollution, they picture a discharge pipe with yucky-look- ing and/or strong-smelling liquid - pouring into a stream, lake, or river. Actually, members of the U.S. Congress went along with that view in 1972 when they en- acted the Clean Water Act. As a result of that legislation, many cities were given grants with which to build new and more efficient sewage treatment plants and most industries were required to treat their effluents before discharging them into waterways. And, con- trary to the fears of the cynics, our general water quality has indeed improved over the past 25 years. However, in the late 1980s it became increasingly clear that the so-called end-of-the-pipe strategy could go only so far in reducing water pollution. Even in 1998, 40 percent of the nation’s waterways were not “fishable and swim- mable” - the stated goal of the Clean Water Act. Therefore, Con- gress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have put forth new guidelines that attempt to solve the many problems of nonpoint source pollution, that is, pollution that does not come directly out of a pipe or have a precise generator. In other words, nonpoint source pollution cannot be blamed on any one entity. Let me give you some statistics and examples. Siltation is still the main cause of “impairment” for our nation’s watercourses, according to the The problem of nonpoint source pollution EPA. Silt is a class of sediment somewhere between clay and sand in size. Unlike clay, it does not remain suspended in the water as it is carried toward the ocean. Unlike sand, it does not settle quickly to the bottom near the erosion source. It tends to settle slowly and cover large areas with fine particles. It can cause fish Kills directly by interfering with gill function. It can settle on fish eggs and other organisms, suffo- cating them. It can build up over time and reduce the area and health of plants that live under the water. In the Chesapeake Bay, siltation has been blamed for much of the decreases in oyster and sea grass beds. Consider the fact that approxi- mately 25 billion tons (that’s bil- lion with a “b"!) of topsoil are eroded every year around the world and you may get an idea of the severity of this situation. It wouldn't be so bad if the soil only created physical problems, but it carries a variety of other pollut- ants with it into our rivers, lakes and bays. If the soil comes from an agricultural area, it may con- tain chemicals used to fertilize or to kill weeds and pests. It may also contain bacteria and other pathogens from the manure of farm animals. It almost certainly contains nutrients such as phos- phorus which quickly overwhelm the natural processes in the wa- ter, If the soil comes from construc- tion sites or urban areas, it may contain oil or other organic com- pounds washed from parking ar- eas or roadways. Urban runoff, such as that we are now experi- 'encing as rain melts snow and ice, ‘contains salts of various sorts and metals as well as the aforemen- tioned nutrients and pesticides from lawns and golf courses. Most of this washes directly into the river without any treatment. In many urban areas, high runoff actually overloads the wastewa- ter treatment systems, and sew- age is once again discharged di- rectly into waterways. Some of the most insidious nonpoint source pollution is car- ried in the air. Sometimes that also consists of particles of vari- ous sorts. Sometimes it is metal compounds from the burning of fuels, especially coal. Arsenic and cadmium are two very dangerous metals that are discharged into our air by coal-burning power plants. These can be carried long distances before they are washed out in someone's backyard. Nitrates are in the air, too. They can contribute to acid deposition which often prevents streams from supporting the fish and other ani- mals that previously lived there. They can also contribute to the high nutrient concentrations found in waterbodies such as the Chesapeake Bay. It has been esti- mated that 22 percent of the ni- trate in the Bay is brought in from out of the basin in the air. Much of that comes from automobiles and electrical generation plants. The Governors of Michigan and Vermont wrote an open letter to the American people a few years ago in which they said: “Govern- ment is tackling nonpoint pollu- tion, but the task is too big to do alone. Imagine policing every backyard, every parking lot, every farm. Stopping nonpoint pollu- tion is everybody's job.” In my next column two weeks from now, I will try to reiterate several of the things we can do to help in this cause. LEGISLATORS DIRECTORY Federal Officials Representative Paul E. Kanjorski (Democrat) Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200 Washington: (202) 225-6511 e-mail: paul.kanjorski @hr.house.gov # 400M, 7 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Wilkes- Barre PA 18702 or 2353 Rayburn Building, Washington, DC 20515 Senator Arlen Specter (Republican) Wilkes-Barre: 826-6265 Washington: (202) 224-4254 e-mail: senator sheoterGinenior. senate.gov 116 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 or 711 Hart Senate Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510 Senator Rick Santorum (Republican) Scranton: 344-8799 Washington: (202) 224-6324 Fax: (202) 228-4991 e-mail: senator @santorum.senate.gov 527 Linden St., Scranton, PA 18503 120 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 State Officials State Senator Charles D. Lemmond (Republican) (717) 675-3931 e-mail: smurphy @pasen.gov 22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memorial Hwy, Dallas PA 18612-1231 State Representative George Hasay (Republican) 287-7505 or 542-7345 or 474-2276 or 477-3752 144 North Mountain Boulevard, Mountaintop PA 18707 Hasay'’s district encompasses; Harveys Lake, Lefiman Township, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dallas Township's north voting district. State Representative Phyllis Mundy (Democrat) 283-9622 or 655-3375 Suite 113, 400 Third Avenue, Kingston PA 18704 Mundy’s district encompasses: Dallas Borough, Dallas Township except for the north voting district, and Kingston Township. ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - Jan. 3.1929 GOV. FISHER TO PROPOSE MORE CASH FOR ROADS Gov. Fisher is preparing, to sub- mit a financial program to the legislature to increase, revenues for highway construction. . Sub- mission of the budget to the Gen- eral Assembly this week assumes that the present revenues of the department will not be decreased. An increase of another cent a gal- lon in the gasoline tax would bring in approximately $7,000,000. 60 Years Ago - Jan. 27,1939 DALLAS ENDURES WORST WEATHER OF YEAR Tailend of a storm which raised mountainous waves along -the + Atlantic Coast and imperiled ship- ping lashed Dallas bitterly. this week and gave this section its worst weather of the winter. There were reports from sections that the temperature had dropped to 14° below on some of the recent cold mornings. Dallas councilmen will pass fi- nal judgement on the borough budget for the current year at their regular meeting Wednesday evening. Indications are that the levy will be the same as last year, 15 1/2 mills. 50 Years Ago - Jan. 28, 1949 HAROLD PAYNE ELECTED VP & GM OF LOCAL CTCO Coincident with the announce- ment that Harold Payne of Harveys Lake has been elected vice presi- dentand general managerof Com- monwealth, Luzerne and Bradford County Telephone Companies, comes the announcement that Commonwealth Co. has. pur- chased a strip of land along Lake Street from A.C. Devens and will erect there its new building for- merly planned for location on its present site of Church Street. The new building will serve as general headquarters for all of the compa- nies owned by Sen. Andrew. J. Sordoni.. Yon Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence B. Hil: bert, formerly of Allentown and Alderson have purchased Iva's Restaurant on Rte. 309,“Shaver- town. Hilbert said some remodél- ing would be done and new equip: ment is being installed. Cy Te 40 Years Ago - Jan. 23, 1959. BMT LUMBER & COAL MOVES TO SHAVERTOWN Announcement was made this week by Granville H., Snowden that Back Mountain Lumber and Coal co. will close its Dallas Hartl- ware and Supply Co. store about the middle of February and move the stock and business to is en- larged modern store in Shaver- town.’ The vacated building Sowden said will be leased to'D4l- las5¢, 10¢, and $1.00 Store owned by John E. Williams. : Board members of Dalids School District at a special meet- ing Thursday evening rescinded a motion made two days earlier to close the frame school building in Dallas and on Friday, 100 chil- dren were again housed in famil- iar classrooms returning to their place in in first and third grades and a kindergarten room. Inspet- tion by the Department of Laber and Industry gave the building a clean bill of health on TE Fharsday. Wi, MW 30 Years Ago - Jan. 30-1969. BMT TO HAVE LESS JUSTICE OF PEACE POSITIONS -=:<:. During primary electiors’ last spring voters approved proposed changes to the State Constitution among them abolishment: of a number of Justice of the Peace posts. Judge Bernard Brominski, Luzerne County Courts president- judge ruled on a decisiQ# for the new magisterial districts setting up only two for the entire Back Mountain whereas 1 7 justices are presently operating. s,s “> RE 20 Years Ago - Jan. 25: 1979 DALLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT, CONCERNED OVER TAX: ° Recent enactment of hie per capita occupational privilege tax by Dallas Borough is of great con- cern to Dallas School District which originally levied .the ‘S10 tax in the municipalities in’ the district. Dallas School Board ap- proved the tax in order-to close a void in the budget when state'and federal appropriations were: cut back. Board members believed it more equitable to levy $10: occu- pational tax than to increase: real estate taxes another one o- two mills.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers