PRES I Tr EO ae Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 21, 1999 ~~-4 The Dallas Post EDITORIALS Has celebrity replaced achievement in USA? The past few days have presented a curious picture of contemporary USA to television viewers and avid readers of . daily newspapers. At least it seems curious to members of the ubiquitous “baby boom” generation, whose collective memory ‘was driven in all directions by two wildly divergent, yet strangely ‘connected, events. First, at least on the network news, was the ‘seemingly endless coverage of the apparent crash into the sea ‘of a small airplane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. It’s likely that ‘anyone born after 1955 wonders why all the fuss over someone ‘who is known to them only because he shared his famous father’s name. That is, unless you are a member of the big- .media establishment, in which case Kennedy was also the ‘publisher of George magazine, a publication with a meager ‘following outside the New York/Washington political/busi- ‘ness axis, but which skillfully blended popular culture with politics. So, why the fuss? Probably because: 1. It's summer, and there's not a whole lot else going on. 2. The people making decisions about coverage lived through the Kennedy years, and still carry in their minds eye the image of a brave JFK Jr. saluting as his father’s casket passed by. 3. Many of those same people strive to spend time on ‘Martha's Vineyard this time of year, so they can be seen as part ‘of the media/politics rat pack. 4. Celebrity is now the name of the game in news, and the ‘Kennedys are the closest America has come to a royal family. ~The other bit of news, which drew modest coverage by comparison, was the 30th anniversary of the first moon landing by U.S. astronauts. The anniversary is ironic because it was JFK who set us on course to the moon, when he made ‘the brash promise in 1961 that we would put a man there ‘before the end of the decade. He set in motion perhaps ‘mankind’s greatest scientific achievement, the spinoffs from which continue to play important roles in our everyday lives. But times have changed; without an enemy to defend against ‘we have consistently cut funding available to scientists, and the space program, like so much in American life, has become a vehicle of commerce, rather than. discovery. Instead of the supreme excellence of a missile sending a spacecraft to a pinpoint rendezvous a quarter million miles away, we have ‘mediocre computer programs that make billions of dollars for avaricious owners. And instead of being glued to the tube ‘watching man’s first footsteps on a barren orb, we are given hour after hour of regurgitated Kennedy family sorrow, spouted by hangers-on who are desperate for some of the glamour that clings to JFK's heirs more than three decades since the 35th ‘President was assassinated. In doing so, they display none of “the grace, wit and charm JFK Jr. managed to develop while “growing up in the fishbowl of a public life. ~ We would be better served if the news coverage could be ‘reversed, and Americans could relive the triumph of. of the - moon landing while the Kennedy family could mourn its loss in private. But that seems as wistful a dream as did landing on the ~ moon when it was first broached 38 years ‘ago. PE Publisher's notebook [Ron Bartizek | -~ You may have heard that our fine representatives in Con- . gress are debating a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” as it has been called, to offer protection against abuses by health care orga- nizations. (Read, insurance companies.) Now, I doubt that 200 years from now they'll be holding celebrations on the anniver- sary of this momentous occasion, but maybe something useful «can be done. (Wouldn't that be different, Congress doing - something useful, and in the summer too?) As I understand it, the Democrats want to give anyone whose HMO denies them an appointment with a faith healer the “right” to sue the bejeesus off their HMO. The Republicans, on the other hand, want anyone with a complaint against an HMO to submit to binding arbitration, before a review board made up bean counters who regard loss of a limb as a minor inconve- « nience. This might require renaming the bill to something like * the “Insurors’ Protection Act.” By the way, for those of you who haven't kept up with the + acronyms, HMO stands for Health Maintenance Organization. . I guess that means they don’t plan to make you feel better, but ~ you probably won't get any worse. = As is the wont in Washington, a compromise will surely be © reached{that will have as little effect as possible on those ~ unable to send bushels of money to their Gongressperson, and ~ it will be worded in such a way that we'll thank our lucky stars *. such compassionate individuals are watching out for us. If you ~ think this is sarcasm, think again. Remember the President's ~ recent touting of a prescription drug plan for Medicare recipi- ' ents? Turns out the average savings would be a measly couple + of hundred bucks a year, while the beneficiaries of his proposed largesse would still be shelling out hundreds each year before ". they saw any savings. Big whoop. Just so you know, our family patronizes an HMO and we're - quite happy with the quality and service . . so far. But it seems CR AEFI EERE FSA ~ tome that if my doctor has to march to corporate orders, I ought - to be able to hold his employer accountable should necessary + care be denied. Or, maybe I should be able to sue Congress for » malpractice. ‘The Dallas Post Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 717-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek Charlotte E. Bartizek PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ; OFFICE MANAGER Gregory Culver 5 ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC ‘Kasia McDonough REPORTER Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Olga Kostrobala : CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING PRINTED WITH PENNSYLVANIA SOYINK| Member PUBLISHERS ArTOCIATION The Boys of Summer Robbie Justice, foreground, Ronnie Shiner, seated, and Carl Bartizek, top, relaxed at their tree fort, which they constructed this summer. The photographer was sworn to secrecy about the exact location. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek.. Na Library thanks "Ham and Yegg' donors Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary Association announces its 1999 Ham and Yegg list of con- tributors for the seed money to buy antiques for its recent auction: . and Mrs. Malek Ahmad Dr. and Mrs. R.P. Albertson . and Mrs. James Alexander . and Mrs. Richard Allan . and Mrs. Ernest Ashbridge . and Mrs. Ronald Bartizek .. and Mrs. John Bergevin Mr. and Mrs. Justin Bergman, Jr. . and Mrs. Morton Blum Dr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Bost . and Mrs. William Brackett Dr. Michael Bucan Dr. and Mrs. Michael Callahan Coscia’s Food Management Mrs. Hale Coughlin Mr. and Mrs. Adam C. Crahall Mrs. Bruce Davies Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Dickinson Mr. and Mrs. Hans Dreher Mrs. Fred Eck Mr. and Mrs. John Ennis. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Epstein Mrs. Jean Eyet Mrs. Leonette N. Fink , Fino’s Pharmacy - Mr. and Mrs. Charles Flack Mrs. Shirley Forney Mr. and Mrs. Kerry Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Gaffney Mr. and Mrs. John Gager Mr. Ralph K. Garrahan Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Gordon Mrs: Kathy Gregory Dr. and Mrs. Gerald Gunster Mr. and Mrs. David Hall Mr. and Mrs. Frank Henry Miss Jennie Hill Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hogoboom Mrs. John Holdredge ,Dr. and Mrs. James F. Hora Attorney and Mrs. Stephen B. Killian Mr. and Mrs. James J. Knecht Mr. and Mrs. David Kyle Mr. George Lamoreux Mr. Richard F. Laux ; Mr. and Mrs. Howard M. Levinson Mr... and / Mrs. Anthony Marchakitus Mr. and Mrs. Richard Maslow Mr. and Mrs. Jay H. May Mrs. H.R. McCartney Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Meeker Ms. Jane A. Miller Dr. Walter E. Mokychic Mrs. George Montgomery . and Mrs. William Moss . and Mrs. Byron E. Myers Dr. George H. Nahas . and Mrs. Joseph Nalbone . and Mrs. Jospeh Nardone . Geraldine Nesbitt . and Mrs. Jay P. Niskey Dong Oh Robert Opel 11 John Oswalt Henry Otto r. and Mrs. . and Mrs. . and Mrs. Mr. and Mrs. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Paczewski Mr. and Mrs. Shep Pawling Mr. Benjamin F. Phillips . and Mrs. Thomas Reese Mrs. Lewis J. Reese Mrs. Robert Rinehimer Judy Roeder Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rosenthal Mr. and Mrs. J. David Roskos Dr. and Mrs. John Rothschild Dr. and Mrs. Marshall Rumbaugh Mr. and Mrs. William Runner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs, Randy Schoonover Dr. John R. Shaskas Mrs. Andrew Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Donald Smith Mrs. Ann Stine Mr. and Mrs. Russell B. Stone Mr. and Mrs. Howard A. Swain, JE: Mr. and Mrs: Fred Templin . Stephen J. Tillman ..and Mrs. Henry Todd Mr. and Mrs. Frank Townend Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tupper Drs. Watkins and Medura Mr. and Mrs. Harold Watson Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wildes Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Winter Mr. and Mrs. Philip A. Zachary LEGISLATORS DIRECTORY | Federal Officials State 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 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 Senator Charles D. Lemmond (Republican) (717) 675-3931 e-mail: smurphy@pasen.gov 22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memorial Hwy., 18612-1231 (Republican) Dallas PA State Representative George Hasay 287-7505 or 542-7345 or 474-2276 or 477-3752 144 North Mountain Boulevard, Mountaintop PA 18707 Hasay's district encompasses: Harveys Lake, Leh man Township, Jackson Township, ship, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dal- Lake Town las 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 dis- trict, and Kingston Township. ‘Rice St., 70 Years Ago - July 20, 1929 LARKSVILLE MAN DIES ON AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE Doing stunts on the Wild Cat roller coaster at Ferubrook Park, resulted in the death of a 40 year old man from Larksville, Thurs- day when he was thrown from a speeding car at the’top of the second slope and dragged to the bottom of the steep incline. Wit- nesses say that upon entering the roller coaster he stood up several times and was repeatedly pulled to his seat by friends. He insisted on standing. However, at the top of the second was standing when the car lurched and he was thrown over backward, his foot ‘catching in the car. He was dead on arrival at Wilkes-Barre General Hospi- tal. 60 Years Ago - July 2, 1939 GREENWOOD KIWANIS MEET WITH GOVERNORJAMES Governor Arthur H. James has invited representatives of Mount Greenwood Kiwanis Club and Greater Dallas Rotary Club to con- fer with him at his Harveys Lake summer home to discuss the pos- sibility of constructing a new high- ‘way between Trueksville and Dal- las along the abandoned right-of- way of Wilkes-Barre Railway Corp. Encouraged by the Governor's interest, a joint committee from the two service clubs is planning to meet with him as soon as enough data to justify discussion has been compiled. 50 Years Ago - July 22, 1949 DALLAS BUSINESS SOLD Eugene W. Sick, Wilkes-Barre has purchased Dallas 5¢, 10¢ to $1 Store from Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Paul. The transaction was com- pleted last week and Sick took possession on Thursday. The Dallas store was established 19 years ago, from a small beginning the store had a healthy growth and in 1940 it was completely remodeled and enlarged to give Pallas: its first modern store on Main Street. 40 Years Ago - July 24, 1969 MISERICORDIA CONVERTS HOMES FOR DORMITORIES College Misericordia in need of dormitory space for rapidly in- creasing, enrollment has take a first step to ameliorate crowded conditions by purchase of the former Titman home at 166 Lake Street, now occupied by the Rob- ert Schlaak family. It will be ar- ranged to house 10 girls and two sisters. Another home on Lake Street will also be purchasd within a short time, one with an equal capacity. ; ? Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Eipper, Dallas, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house July 22. There are three living- children and five grandchildren. 30 Years Ago - July 24, 1969 HL SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANS UNRESOLVED A representative from Glace & Glace, Harrisburg, the firm which has done a feasibility study for sewage disposal at Harveys Lake reported re week that he had not received confirmation from DAMA ‘for the possibility of hooking into their proposed system. Bid casts are higher than anticipated and it appears now that it will be more than $76,800. the opinion that it would be $20,000 to $25,000 cheaper to treat your own. A have done all I could with the Dallas Authority and I do not believe they are inter- ested. You could get - Whole hams, 49¢ Ib.; Cornish roasters. 49¢ 1b.; peaches, 4 lbs. 49¢; tomatoes, cello carton 23¢; Bounty paper towels, jumbo roll, 19¢; Welsh grape jelly, 1 1b. 4 oz. jar, 39¢. 20 Years Ago - July 19, 1979 PENNAPRINT HELPING NICARAGUAN NEWSPAPER a Monagua, Nica- newspaper destroyed re- “La Prensa” ragua cently now deposed president Anassassio Somoza will be as- sisted back: into publication by a group of small Pennsylvania news- papers. Pennaprint Inc. publisher of seven weekly newspapers an- nounced thatitis donating a com- puterized photo-typesetting unit through an Inter American Press Association effort to get La Prensa back into publication. He said he was of by National Guardsmen of 3 vy, iis fies oC San aa
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers