4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, April 28, 1999 . wa EDITORIALS Wisdom of Dallas security measures is now apparent Nearly two years ago, the Dallas School District adopted a program to bolster security in and around its buildings. At that time, this page criticized the move as an unnecessary waste of resources that would create an atmosphere of suspicion. Unfortunately, events since then have shown that the school board was wise to take steps that increased student safety, even if they restricted freedom a bit. The tragedy in Colorado was only the latest in a string of deadly attacks at schools across the nation in the last few years; episodes that might be thwarted by the security measures now in place at Dallas. Littleton offers eerie parallels to the Back Mountain, al- though on a much larger scale. It is a relatively affluent suburb of Denver, a place where upper middle class families inhabit new developments, drive expensive cars and wear popular brands of clothing. Sports are the surest route to popularity at Columbine High School, where administrators, teachers and students are justly proud of football championships, high SAT scores and other achievements. The school district's reputa- tion is good enough that families move to the area so their + children can receive a top-notch public education. But it’s also a place where some people feel left out, especially in a culture obsessed with material goods and celebrity. While it’s unreal- istic and unfair to blame the senseless acts of two misguided “youths on a community, it is now obvious that it could happen here. One of the most poignant comments about the Littleton shootings came from a female student on the day of the massacre. “We're supposed to be safe here,” she said. “School is supposed to be a safe place.” While we originally opposed the security measures in the Dallas schools, we are now grateful for them. They are the least we can do to assure our community that the schools are and will remain a place where young people can feel protected from a volatile and violent world. : We won't stop massacres until we face the facts - Everywhere you turn, people are pointing fingers at what they see as the cause of the massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. And for every accusation, there is a response, and many times neither side makes sense. While we can’t pin blame for this tragedy on any one thing, it's not difficult to list some ingredients that make up a boiling stew of potential violence. : -Was easy access to guns a factor? Of course it was. So, if there were more restrictions on guns, would murder disappear from the landscape? No, although the body count would likely be lower. If everyone was armed, would we be a less violent society? You must be kidding, or on the take from the NRA. How about our banal, consumer society, where the label on jeans or brand of perfume determines your place in the pecking order? Yes, that can be maddening to those who can’t afford designer names, but the reaction isn’t usually to kill those with more money or status. ' Mothers who work? A realistic view shows that a mother’s employment has little to do with children’s adjustment, if parents’ have well-grounded values and reasons for their lifestyle. : . What about violence on television, in the movies and in video games? It's hard to dismiss the effect this has on children, éspecially if their parents revel in the same sort of trash. How many times have you seen young kids in theaters, watching movies that are completely inappropriate for their age? And doesn’t it seem logical that when even the “good guys” are presented taking pleasure in doing in the “bad guys,” young viewers take a little bit of that away with them. But violent behavior in America isn’t limited to moving images on a screen. Major sports have become populated by increasingly belliger- ent participants in recent years. Basketball, for example, has become a contact sport, with fighting among players a regular occurrence. It’s not uncommon to hear football players talk about their desire to hurt opponents, not just beat them. And what is to be made of the popularity among young people *— or rather, young males — of professional wrestling, which isnot only violent but crude, vulgar and often misogynistic? . .Does that Internet add to the dangerous brew? To para- phrase the gun lobby, “The Internet doesn’t poison peoples’ values, they do it all by themselves.” The problem now has become that twisted minds have easy access to comrades, where in the past they might have been isolated by the larger society. No matter what your particular perversion, you can find plenty of people who support you at the touch of a key. - The truth is that the United States has a fascination with violent behavior, whether in the.context of good or evil, and we haven't really acknowledged it. All the factors that contribute to that unhealthy outlook sometimes coalesce in vulnerable minds, and tragedies like the one in Colorado are the result. But until we look our problems squarely in the eye, we won't find a solution. - Your news is welcome The Dallas Post welcomes submissions about Back Mountain people and events.To have the greatest likelihood of publication, items should be received at our office no later than the Friday prior to each issue. Items will be accepted Mondays, although much of the paper is already assembled by that time. Send or bring items to: The Dallas Post, 607 Main Road, P.O. Box 366, Dallas, PA 18612. Our normal business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 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 Ronalg A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Jessica Appolo x ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kasia McDonough REPORTER Ruth Proietto Olga Kostrobala PRODUCTION MANAGER CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Nanette Bozentka OFFICE MGR. vd PRINTED WITH PENNSYIVANIA SOY INK w Member INEWSPAPER All lined up, and now they have someplace to go. Frances Slocum State Park. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - April 27, 1929 TRUCKSVILLE-LUZERNE HWY WILL OPEN JUNE 1 So rapidly is work progressing on the new Trucksville-Luzerne Highway that officials of the Kersteen Construction Co. ex- pressed the belief this week that one side of the road will be com- pleted and open for traffic by June 1. Sixty men are now being em- ployed in the construction work. 60 Years Ago - April 28, 1939 NEW BUSES REPLACE TROLLEY LINE Slick, 31-passenger gasoline buses will supplant the 42 year old trolley line between Dallas and Wilkes-Barre next Monday as Wilkes-Barre Railway Corp. be- gins tearing up tracks on Buckingham Avenue, Luzerne to make way for the by-pass. The first step toward consoli- dation of Wilkes-Barre's three daily newspapers, anticipated for several months will take place Saturday afternoon when The Evening News will retire from the field and merge with The Times Leader. The first edition of the consolidated newspaper, which will retain The Times-Leader’s name, will be printed in The Times Leader's plant. 50 Years Ago - April 29, 1949 EPISCOPAL CHURCH ESTABLISHED IN BMT Under authorization of Bishop Frank W. Sterrett of the Episco- pal Diocese of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church has been permanently established in the Back Mountain Communi- ties. Lehman and Kingston Town- ship schools will be dismissed one hour early next Thursday so that teachers may attend cur- riculum revision meetings at both schools. Similar meetings were held some weeks ago and another meeting will be held later. Lehman Twp. High School Band winner of the Regional Class C Championship, will leave Satur- day morning in two special buses to take part in State competition of the State Forensic and Music League at Pottstown. 40 Years Ago - April 23, 1959 BACK MT SHOPPING CENTER EXPANSION ANNOUNCED Further expansion of Back Mountain Shopping Center at Shavertown was announced this week by the owners of Eyerman & Fine. EyermanJr., said two addi- tional stores will be built at the northern end of the Center. One of them with a frontage of 80 and a depth of 175 feet will house a nationally known chain variety - store. Both stores have been leased and a third showroom now unoccupied has also been leased. Elston. & Gould with Ralph Garris as partner expect to starta 24 hour taxi service for the Back Mountain as soon as approval is obtained from the PUC. Plans to put a new taxi and limousine into service at once and increase the rolling stock as soon as demand warrants it. With curtailment of bus service taxi service will be even more important to the com- munity than in the past. 30 Years Ago - May 1, 1969 BLOOMSBURG MILL A BUST Twenty years ago this week the sleek new building known . throughout the Back Mountain community as the Bloomsburg Mill was opened for a preliminary showing to area residents. Its stream-line appearance was touted as the latest word in fac- tory architecture and the modern facilities it boasted were among the finest industrial planners could provide. Today the modern giant stands idle, returning only a fraction of its potential wealth to the community. The plant is for sale and efforts are bieng made nationwide to sell it. You could get - Whole chick- ens, 28¢ 1b.; perch fillet, 39¢ Ib; beef liver, 39¢ 1lb.; oranges, 49¢ doz.; Maxwell House Coffee, 1 Ib. can, 59¢; Heinz Ketchup, 2 14-02 bot., 49¢; sweet corn, 6 ears, 39¢. 20 Years Ago - April 26, 1979 HARVEYS LAKE COUNCIL PLANS PURCHASES Harveys Lake Council presi- dent Robert DeRemer expressed confidence this week that the suit filed by borough Taxpayers Asso- ciation to block the borough's pro- posed land and building purchase will have no deterring effect upon council's plans. “Iwill continue to represent the people to the best of my ability which includes a bal- anced budget and the purchase of the stone house.” (The former Tavel Restaurant, now desired as a municipal building.) Also in- cluded in the plans is a sizable piece of lakefront property in- tended for use as a public beach. 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_specter@specter.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 ax: (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, Lehman Town- ship, 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 Town- - ship except for the north voting district, and Kingston Township. L} Bursting with ,) Back Movnia\n news y The Dallas Post lo a hometown paper you can feel good about ) ve
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers