WE 6 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, December 1, 1999 EDITORIALS | Keeping farms vital is important to all of us America is at a crossroads on the question of what to do about the farms that produce our food. It is, some would say, a happy problem, since crop yields and production of nearly everything else are at record levels. The dark lining to this silver cloud, though, is the decline of family farms, the plots of land nurtured by generations of farmers who bought feed and supplies in their hometowns and sold their meat, milk and produce at local markets. Those days are long gone, and in many ways the new age has been good for consumers. We can now get fresh fruits and vegetables all year long, shipped from southern states and even other nations with warmer climates. Each acre of land grows more corn or wheat, and each cow produces more milk, often through the application of chemical agents that boost produc- tion, a step that is easier to take by well-financed “factory” farms run by large corporations. Meanwhile, prices paid to farmers have not kept pace with increased costs, with the practical effect that family farms must work harder keep up, and often do not. No one knows this better than local dairy farmers, who struggle to make ends meet while providing nutrients that are vital to good health. Advocates of lassez-faire capitalism think this is all a good thing, that “the market” is the best judge of what's best for us. But the market is notoriously shortsighted, and is concerned entirely with money. While economics might dictate that family farms be subdivided into condominiums this year, a decade from now we might think otherwise, but then it would be too late to go back. That's why it makes sense for society as a whole to take modest steps that safeguard small local farms, which do not have access to the financial opportunities available to large corporate operations. Setting a reasonable floor for milk and other food prices is one small way we can maintain the vitality of Back Mountain farms, and the benefits they provide. Publisher's notebook Ron Bartizek | I have reached a point in life from which I'm allowed to look back to the old days (or “back in the day,” to use the modern parlance) and wax poetic about how things have changed. It's usually best to do this about mundane activities that “kids today” take for granted, like pumping your own gas. This may seem unremarkable, but there once was a time when you pulled into the gas station, which was not a convenience store, and someone came out in the pouring rain to pump your gas. If he (never she) was a go-getter, he would ask to check the oil and other fluids under the hood, in hopes of earning a nickel commission if you happened to be a quart low. (More avaricious attendants would try to sell you a quart even when you didn’t need it!) In times even before my memory, it wasn’t unusual for the attendant to check the air in the tires, and fill them as needed. So, what happened? I can finger a couple of reasons why the full-service gas station is now as rare as the spotted owl. For - one thing, cars are much less likely to need oil between changes than they were in those days, and tires, which no longer have tubes inside them, don’t lose air very quickly. The air was free, but the oil was a source of profit for station operators, who made only pennies on each gallon of gas, but perhaps a quarter on a single quart of oil. Then, there’s King's. No, not the college in Wilkes-Barre, the original self-service chain discount store. King’s, which went out of business before Wal-Mart moved into Texas, pioneered the wide selection store in which customers waited on themselves. As far as I'm concerned, it's been downhill ever since. But there are upsides to our becoming slaves to the store owners. We don’t have to wait for a clerk to notice the money bulging in our pockets before she’ll come wait on us, and we aren't confronted with commission-hungry salespeople every time we want to pick up a pair of socks at clearance prices. More important to the American psyche, we're all equals at the gas pump. While putting his last $3 into the tank of a rusted ‘87 Taurus, a high school kid can stand next to a bank president filling the tank of his new Mercedes coupe, or a Junior League trophy wife topping off her Lincoln Navigator. No class distinctions here. When they're done, they can take their pick of a Gatorade or a capuccino, and each jump back into the driver's seat with the faint aroma of hydrocarbons on their hands. What a country! Your news is welcome The Dallas Post welcomes submissions about Back Mountain people and events. In order to plan each issue, we must adhere to self- imposed deadlines, as well as those of our printer. To have the greatest likelihood of publication, items should be received at our office by 4 p.m. the Friday prior to each issue. [tems will be accepted until 4 p.m. 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. A deposit box is located at the front of the building for after-hours submissions. 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 ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kasia McDonough REPORTER Olga Kostrobala CLASSIFIED/TYPESETTING Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Christine Pizzano OFFICE ASSISTANT i PRINTED WITH PENNSYIVANIA SOY INK|_ INEWSPAPER Seasonal rental, water vu, available until April. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS California student seeks info about area Editor: I am in the fifth grade at Neil Hafley School in Manteca, Cali- fornia. I have adopted your state as a class project. I will be doing a report and making a desplay about Pennsylvania. In May my class will be having a state's farr. Iwill display and show every thing that I have gotten and learned about your state to my whole The economic ViIewpoIn Howard Grossman The Back Mountain, the Abingtons in Lackawanna County, the Pocono Mountains, Mountaintop in Luzerne County and other places across North- eastern Pennsylvania should be aware of a resource manual pub- lished by the County Commis- sioners Association of Pennsylva- nia. This 79 page report outlines county projects and initiatives that call for planning, land use, vision- ing and other sustainable devel- opment functions. In Northeast- ern Pennsylvania, the report points out the 20/20 visioning project in Monroe County and the visioning project in Schuylkill County. However, other county projects and initiatives are sug- gested in Cambria, Chester, Dau- phin, Erie, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mercer, Union and York. There are other projects which have been initiated dealing with visioning such as those in Wyo- ming Valley, Greater Hazleton, Scranton-Lackawanna, Pike, and a region-wide NEPA 2000 vision- ing project completed three years ago by the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern school. It would be helpful to me if you could ask your readers to send me postcards of your state., maps, broches, statistics, sports teames and any other information and iteams your readers feel would be helpful. I hope your readers will help me with my project. I'm looking forward to hearing from them, and I promise to send thank you to them for helping me. I am excited about learning about your state. Thank you from California. Jessicsa Mendoza Mr. Rumble Class = Neil Hafley School 849 Northgate Drive Manteca, CA 95336 Help available to build 'sustainable communities’ Pennsylvania (EDCNP). The re- port defines a sustainable com- munity as “not one singular type ofa sustainable community, these can be urban, rural, or suburban - but rather they often share com- mon traits. Generally, these com- munities are healthy, livable, eco- nomically viable, promote equity, and do not place excessive de- mands on infrastructure and the environment.” The County Commissioners Association has a Sustainable Communities Task Force. The manual is designed to provide an overview of specific county efforts in the area of sustainable com- munities and sustainable devel- opment concepts as well as infor- mation on individual counties and intergovernmental services. For example, in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the report points to Monroe County, a land area of 607 square miles with the county seat of Stroudsburg. Twenty local governments exist in that county. Its 1990 population was 95,709 and a variety of sustainable com- munity projects exist, such as planning for growth and land use, infrastructure funding, multi- municipal planning, open space preservation, tourism/economic development partnerships, farm- land preservation, quality of life/ sustainable development and heri- tage resources preservation. A county comprehensive plan was prepared in 1981, but a major effort is underway, called 20/20 visioning, which incorporates a variety of activities designed to help guide the county into the 21st Century. Monroe County is the second fastest growing county in Pennsylvania with the adjoin- ing county of Pike being first. It should be noted that Monroe County voters recently approved a $25 million bond issue for open space preservation, the first such effort in Northeastern Pennsylvania's history. Other activities across Penn- sylvania which relate to sustain- able development include 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania which is inclusive of eight (8) statewide organizations joining together to promote land use and growth management, and legislative bills introduced by Senator Jim Gerlach as Senate Bill 270 and House member David Steil, who has introduced House Bills 1613, 1614 and 1615. For further information, con- tact the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsyl- vania, 1151 Oak Street, Pittston, Pennsylvania 18640. Howard Grossman is executive diretotr of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Penn- sylvania. He lives in Dallas. 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 Fax: (202) 228-4991 e-mail: senator@santorum.senate.gov 527 Linden St., Scranton, PA 18503 120 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 (0 } YN IR YESTERDAY [HES 70 Years Ago - Nov. 30, 1929 COVERED BRIDGE LOST TO HIGHWAY EXPANSION One of the oldest landmarks ing P this section will fall before the advance of progress this spring when the State Highway Depart- ment begins work on the new bridge across Bowman's Creek near Noxen and not far from where the covered bridge now stands. The old covered bridge, is one of the few remaining structures of its type to be found in Pennsylva, nia. ag 60 Years Ago - Dec. 1, 1939 QUICK ACTION STOPS SCARLET FEVER OUTBREAK A threatened epidemic of scar- let fever at Dallas Township schools was checked effectively this week when health authori- ties, swinging into action after five cases had been reported in the. township took 600 cultures ana * placed 16 detected carriers under observation. John Yaple, health officer of District 18 which in- cludes this section, promised con- stant vigilance to prevent another outbreak but he expressed the opinion that any danger of a spread of the disease had already been checked. No other cases have been reported anywhere cls in his district. 50 Years Ago - Dec. 2, 1949 PHONE RATES TO GO UP 30% Telephone subscribers in the Back Mountain Area will receive a 30% increase in their rates for local service effective Feb. 1. A new rate schedule for all of the telephone companies controlled by Sordoni interests was filed yes- terday with the Public Utility Com- mission in Harrisburg. Harold G. Payne, general manager said the increase is necessary to meet an automatic increase of $120,000 a year in telephone workers’ wages brought about by the Govern- ments 75 cents per hour mini- mum wage law which will takqgy effect on January 25. 40 Years Ago - Dec. 3, 1959 TRAFFIC LIGHT ADDED TO RT. 309 AT MAIN ST. Secretary of Highways, Park H. Martin has authorized installa- tion of traffic lights at the inter- section of U.S. Route 309, Lower Main Street and Fernbrook Road, Dallas Township opposite Forty, Fort Dairy and the Linear Inc. plant. Borough and township of- ficials were notified that semi- - activated type traffic signal con- trols are to be installed. With this kind of control the light will re- main green for traffic on U.S. 309 until a vehicle crosses one of the treadles in the other roadways. You could get - Center cut pork chops or roast, 69¢ 1b.; bananas 9¢ 1b.; Virginia Lee pumpkin pies, 49¢ ea.; Hunts tomato sauce, 2- 15 oz. cans 29¢; Gerber's Baby Foods, strained, 10 jars, 99¢. 30 Years Ago - Dec. 4, 1969 VALLEY PAPERBACK PREPARES TO OPEN The old Linear plant on Route 309 in Fernbrook is beings scrubbed from the top of its high™ water tower to its new 5-inch thick concrete floor in preparation for printing operations which will commence early in January, Val- ley Paperback controller Robert Fritz announced recently. In ad- dition to the thorough clearning the plant is receiving the execu- tive notes that lunchroom reno-g, vations and extensive office re-~" decorations are being undertaken by the firm and that new equip- ment is being installed which will permit the employment of 150 persons by the end of March and 250 persons in one year’s time. 20 Years Ago - Nov. 29, 1979 BOND SALE TO ADD FAIR LAND GOES SLOWLY - Alan Landis, chairman of Fall~~ Fair Association fund drive re- ported that the sale of debenture bonds for the purchasing an addi- tional 25 acres of land adjoining the property on which the medi- cal center is located, is progress- ing slowly. According to Landis, members of the organizations af- filiated with the Fall Fair have their cards but to date only one or\_/ two persons have turned in re- ports totaling approximately $2,000.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers