4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 6, 1999 EDITORIALS Talk, fun may be the best weapons in drug 'war' Police officials confirmed this week what many people in the Back Mountain already knew; drug use and its attendant crimes against property are not rare incidents in our suburban enclaves. A recent rash of thefts from cars and homes are thought to have been committed by drug users who need money to sustain their destructive habits, stealing not only property but victims’ peace of mind. And several addicts have been victims of their own vice, with at least four Back Mountain residents dying from overdoses in the last couple of years, and those are only the ones that were publicly reported. Try as they might - and they try very hard - local police and U.S. customs agents will not stop the flow of illicit drugs into even the most remote corners of the nation as long as the financial stakes for sellers are so high. With billions of dollars at stake nationally, and thousands a week for local dealers, the lure to deal drugs is too strong for many people to resist. Dealers are stereotyped as urban blacks, but it is a myth that only certain kinds of people fall prey to the promise of big money that dealing offers. Undoubtedly, there are people trying to sell drugs to our children who don't look or act different from anyone we might meet at the market or gas station; we just don’t know who they are. No, stopping the sellers won't work in the long run, but reducing the number of buyers will. That's where we can each do our part, by helping our children and their friends see the joy of life when it is lived with clear eyes and a mind focused on healthy goals. Many of us already do that, by coaching or cheering kids in youth sports, sharing a love of music or art, or passing on the thrill of discovery in everyday activities. Accord- ing to Darcy Brodmerkel, a counselor at College Misericordia, offering positive alternatives is one of the best ways to help young people pass time in a way that won't put them at physical and emotional risk. J All the same, we shouldn't be shy about talking to young people about the dangers of drugs - or any other destructive behavior - and about listening to their perceptions of the problem, and possible solutions. That doesn’t mean a weekly lecture about mortal consequences; an occasional level-headed conversation, one that goes both ways, may be a better approach. In the end, avoiding drug abuse is an individual decision, but it's one we can help our children make for their own good and | ‘that of the larger society. J! Publisher's notebook { ° By now you've probably seen a few of the shiny new Pennsyl- vania license plates. You know, the ones with a layer of blue across the top, white in the middle and a slash of yellow at the bottom. The ones that have the awe-inspiring slogan, “www.state.pa.us.” Now, | have to admit that I think just about anything beats the plain-jane plates we've had for the last umpteen years. Maybe it was a big decision in Harrisburg to switch the colors to yellow on blue a few years ago, but I doubt any art majors jumped for joy at the change. And that slogan, “You've got a friend in Pennsylvania,” seemed to have been written by someone who thought James Taylor is an authority on proper English usage. Not for us an attractive plate like North Carolina’s, with its soaring biplance and “First in Flight” slogan. Hey, we could have a flattened football player and “Last in the NFL.” But that’s getting off the track. I think I know why the standard-issue license plate is so disgusting in most states. It's to make custom plates more enticing, and at $35 or more a pop, more profitable. And that’s a place where PA is undoubtedly “First.” I've never seen so many different vanity plates, for everyone from Save the Owl environmentalists to graduates of the most lowly post-second- ary school. If I recall, there's even a Notre Dame plate, and the university's in Indiana! So, it's no mystery why the new plates are so banal - it’s all part of a grand plan to sneak a few more dollars out of our wallets while making us feel oh-so special. Well, let's join the fun. Here are a few suggestions for new vanity plates: SCID alumnus - (and I made the plate myself). My Kid Has a C+ average Coal Miner's Daughter Steamtown Mall (For teenage drivers.) Hunter Safety Graduate I paid $50 for this plate! Qi hl ia A Ea a NC i A AH ae. A 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, fax them to (570) 675-3650 or send them by e-mail to dalpost@aol.com. 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 circumstances. 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 570-675-5211 Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Gregory Culver oh ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kasia McDonough REPORTER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Christine Pizzano OFFICE ASSISTANT 4 2) PRINTED WITH a. | SOY INK - Member NEWSPAPER Frog in the swamp, and not a bottle in sight. Photo by Monica Marzani. re ——— Food n' fun Jim Phillips Of all the seasons, Fall holds a special place in my heart. It sig- nifies to me an opportunity to taste and see the goodness of the year's harvest, time to savor all the uniqueness that this colorful fragrant season has to offer. Fall is that “perfectly perfect” combi- nation of smells, flavors and feel- ings that adds some much needed comfort to my busy life. Who can deny the feelings on the memories brought to life one has upon entering a house and smelling a home cooked mealon a brisk fall Sunday afternoon? The heady aromas of roasted meats, baked breads, and slow-cooked * Make the most of squash season vegetables give me more than sus- tenance on a chilly October evening. One of my favorite fall foods is baked squash, slow roasted per- haps and served with the simple pleasantries of butter and brown sugar. The squash I like best are the winter varieties, thick skinned and hearty, naturally lending themselves to baking and adding that special fall touch to a heart warming Sunday dinner. The squashes you are familiar with are members of the ground family and are all native to the Americas. The winter varieties have thick outer skins, tough seeds and firm flesh. Butternut squash is a popular variety avail- able year round. Itis pear shaped with light brown skin and creamy yellow flesh. The Delicata variety is shaped like a grooved water- melon with creamy-yellow mot- tling and dark green stripes. Its taste resembles that of sweet corn and sweet potatoes. When buying squash look for a rind that is hard and smooth and free from unusual discoloration. Weight in relation to size is impor- tant. A light squash will be dry and stringy when cooked. Nutri- tionally, a 3 1/2 ounce serving of baked winter squash (without the butter and sugar!) contains al- most 100 percent of your daily Vitamin A requirement and a sub- stantial amount of potassium and Vitamin C. On average a serving contains about 60 calories. Aside from butter, brown sugar and butter (I like butter) there are other tasty ways to prepare and serve winter squash. The main ideas to keep in mind are that this vegetable goes well with sweet flavors, such as maple syrup, honey and brown sugar and the squash is complimented by the “warm” spices - cinnamon, nut- meg, ginger and cloves. Fruits such as cranberries, apples and apricots also lend excellent fla- vors and textures when paired with this hearty vegetable. Here is a simple recipe for Baked Acorn Squash. Ingredients: 1 Ig. acorn squash ; melted butter (as needed) 2 oz. maple syrup 1/4 t. salt 1 oz. sherry Method: 1. Wash and cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds. 2. Brush surface and cavity with melted butter. Place close together cut side down on baking sheet (this helps the squash cook faster without drying by retainin steam). 3. Bake at 350° until almost tender, about 30-40 minutes. 4. Turn cut side up and brush again with butter and the maple syrup, sprinkle cavity with salt, add a few drops of the sherry to each cavity. 5. Bake 10-15 minutes more, until the surface is glazed. ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - Oct. 5, 1929 POLICE CRACK DOWN ON SLOT MACHINE OPERATION Last week Chief Ruth of the Lake and Lehman police depart- ment raided a store at Harveys Lake where a slot machine was being operated, having been placed the day before. Chief Ruth issued repeated warnings that he would not tolerate a slot machine in Lake or Lehman Townships. Slot machines are becoming plen- tiful in Wyoming Valley again. Now playing at Himmler The- atre, “Abie’s Irish Rose”, with Nancy Carroll and Buddy Rogers. 60 Years Ago - Oct. 6, 1939 HUNTSVILLE CHURCH CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY Huntsville Christian Church which underneath its modern improvements is the same church that was built in 1843 and played such an important part in weld- ing the early residents into a reli- gious and social unit, will observe its 96th anniversary this week. Wide plank flooring has been cov- ered, old wood-pegged benches have been replaced, rag carpets have disappeared. and the hand- hewn timbers are hidden now but the church stands as one of the most interesting of this section’s links with the past. 50 Years Ago - Oct. 7, 1949 ATOMIC EXPERT SPEAKS TO BACK MOUNTAIN KIWANAS Dallas and Benton Kiwanis held a joint dinner meeting at Hotel Moses Van Campen, Benton, where the guest speaker was Dr. Jay A. Young, professor of chem- istry at King’s College, a former member of the technical staff at the Bikini atomic tests. Young said the Atomic Bomb tests were made in a 20-mile circle at Bikini lagoon. All types of naval warcraft were used. Tests measured blast, shock effects, temperatures, wave motion and radio activity. Televi- sion was used to observe effects from close points. With good weather prevailing, Ryan Bros. contractors on the new relocated Rte. 115 between Castle Inn and Lehman hope to have the road completed this year. About a mile of single-lane con- crete has been laid between the Castle and Idetown-Huntsville Rd. It is hoped that a mile of second lane will be laid by the weekend. 40 Years Ago - Oct. 8, 1959 BROMINSKI TO LEAD DAL- LAS FOOTBALL PROGRAM Announcement that Eddie Brominski, former Columbia Uni- versity football star and for the past 10 year as physical educa- tion instructor at Hazleton High School has been retained as head football coach by Dallas School District, has met with widespread favor throughout Back Mountain Area. His salary will be $5,830 a year as instructor and $500 a season as head coach. His duties begin Tuesday. Kiwanis Key Club's Drill Team and colorful flag bearers are bring- ing renown to the Back Mountain region. Last week they brought down the house at Bloomsburg Fair. This week a Queen will be an added attraction, they will be featured at the Flaming Forest Festival at Renovo on Saturday. 30 Years Ago - Oct. 9, 1969 RECREATION PROJECT MOVES FORWARD It is expected that construction on the first stage of a multi-phase park project will begin in Dallas within the next few months. The park which will be located on Luzerne Avenue and Burndale Road has been the planning stages for nearly two years. Construc- tion would involve clearing, exca- vating and black topping part of the area. Flooding for ice skating is planned for this year with thd rest of the playground to be built in the spring. 20 Years Ago - Oct. 4, 1979 TIME EXPIRES AS DALLAS ATTEMPTS FIELD GOAL “Penalties cost us the game” said Dallas Coach Ron Rybak re- ferring to the Mounts 0-0 tie with Hanover, Saturday. “We had plenty of opportunities to score/J but failed to capitalize on any of them. The one time we were on the 2-yard line but their defense held. It was possible we could have won the game with a field goal but that’s something we will never know.” Rybak was refer- ring to the final play of the game which left many fans uncertain as to what had happened. With only, seconds remaining in the game, the Mounts were ready to attempt a 20-yard field goal, but before the ball was snapped, an official sounded the whistle ending the game. ‘0 0 LEGISLATORS DIRECTORY Federal Officials Representative Paul E. Kanjorski (Democrat) Wilkes-Barre: 825-2200 Washington: (202) 225-651 1 e-mail: paul.kanjorski@ hr.house.gov # 400M, 7 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd., Wilkes-Barre PA 18702 or 2353 Rayburn Building, Wash- ington, 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 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 Township, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dallas Tewnship’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. ww L 4
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers