6 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, March 8, 2000 EDITORIALS 3 Schools should be useful to those who paid for them Local school administrators are much too quick to dismiss the notion that Back Mountain residents might appreciate the chance to learn something new or shake a leg in evening classes. Some other school districts make better use of their facilities by hosting dance and fitness classes, computer instruction, Red Cross CPR courses and much more. But not Dallas and Lake-Lehman. Here, the administration assumes that since no one has offered to extend the use of the facilities taxpayers have paid for, no one really cares. But we wonder if that's true. The Abington Heights district is one good example of what can be done at school after hours. Not only are computer training and financial planning available to adults, the school’s fitness center and swimming pool have regular hours for use by the general public, even though fees sometimes don’t cover the cost of staffing them. “It's something we feel should be offered,” says the district's director of continuing education programs. There are reasons other than profit and loss to open the school buildings to the adult public. One of the best is to reinforce the feeling that the schools are part of the wider : community, not ivory towers set high on a hill. Astute educa- tors rue the decline of parental participation in schooling, and welcoming parents into the same rooms and hallways their children inhabit'each day might go a long way toward reviving that connection. Evening classes also could help ease the transition for new families, since the Back Mountain offers precious few places for them to get to know their new neighbors except at sporting events. Dallas is now considering a new fieldhouse and perhaps a pool, both of which could be great additions to the community, ‘if they are available to all. But at the moment, it is uncertain if all the new facilities will be open to all the students, never mind to the public. It’s time for the board and administrators of the Dallas and Lake-Lehman school districts to take a fresh look at how wisely and well their facilities are being used, in the context of the ‘institutions’ place in the social fabric of the Back Mountain. When they do, we hope they'll take the next logical step — to find ways that the entire community can take advantage of the resources they have bought and paid for. Publisher's notebook Being the parent of a 10 and soon-to-be 14-year-old, I have no choice but to keep in touch with popular culture. I can avoid most of the television shows geared toward pubescent boys and girls by hiding in another room. (From what little I've seen, I guess adolescence lasts until about age 35, at least for law- yers.) But in the car I'm often a captive audience for 97 BHT or other radio stations aimed squarely at the Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys set. And I've noticed something interesting - going on; hit songs have become like cats, with multiple lives as they are returned to the airwaves as a “remix.” The record companies have obviously discovered the ultimate brand ex- ~ tension — sell the same thing in a different package over and over to the same people. Thus, a slow song is remade with a fast tempo, and vice versa. And they all get the disco treatment to turn them into party songs. This has gotten me to thinking about our business. We go to the trouble and expense of putting out a completely new paper each week, but maybe we don't have to. We could simply change things around a little and reissue a paper two or three more times before producing an entirely new one. So, this is what we'll try starting next month: The first week's paper will be the usual Dallas Post you've come to expect, crammed with photos and articles that have appeared nowhere else. e For the rest of the weeks in a month, we'll make the paper look and read differently. For example, we always have “out- take” photos from events, and we'll substitute those each week. Headlines will be re-written of course, since those and photos are what will make each issue appear to be unique. We can also change the articles somewhat. With computers, we can replace words with synonyms (or maybe homonyms) by using our program’s find /replace command. By the last week of the month, we will eliminate all words with more than two syl- lables. We realize that people shouldn't be expected to pay full price for an issue that isn’t entirely original, so the price will drop a nickel each week. Subscribers who choose to do so will be able to order just the first issue of each month for half the normal rate. There you have it, the newspaper version of modern market- ing. Now, if we could just get an Internet site going, we could figure out how to give away what we now get paid for. That may not seem smart, but if we become TheDallasPost.com, we should be able to issue stock worth a few hundred million before anyone notices. - Q: Where do you find the most Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Dallas Post. The Dallas Post Published Weekly By Bartsen Media, Inc. P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 a 570-675-5211 Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER Ken Brocious ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Kasia McDonough REPORTER Joanna Cease OFFICE/TYPIST/CLASSIFIEDS Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER PRINTED WITH LL The ice is off the ponds, and spring is ready to . . well, spring. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Library news vv Carol King The Monday evening book dis- cussion group will meet on March 27 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the library. The book to be discussed is The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sister- hood. Newcomers are welcome. For further information, call Pam Oliveira, 674-9935; or the library, 675-1182. Two books were discussed at the recent meeting of the Monday morning group, the January meet- ing having been cancelled because of a snowstorm. The first book, Pride and Prejudice, was one of six novels written by Jane Austen between 1811 and 1813, and it is astonishing that they are still ex- tremely popular. There are, in fact, Jane Austen still rates "10 Jane Austen Fan Clubs in En- gland (perhaps in this country, too? We have one such fan in our discussion group.). Life in the middle-class Bennett family in Pride and Prejudice centered around the prospects for getting its daughters married off success- fully (i.e., to rich men of a higher social class) , which doesn’t fit in with today’s “modern woman” con- cept — but because Jane Austen describes English country life of that era so vividly, limns her char- acters so clearly, and unfolds the plot of her story so intriguingly, readers are beguiled into reading on to find out what will happen next. Over half of those present gave the book a rating of 9 or 10. Other votes ranged from 6 to 8. The book for February was The Reader, by Bernard Schlink. He was born in Germany in 1944 and lives there today. The story is a complex one, and our discussion was highly animated. Some read- ers remarked that it was the first book they had read that dealt with the effects of the Third Reich on the second generation. Some of those present felt that the first 80 pages could have been condensed and the plot moved ahead more quickly. There was general agree- ment that one of the main themes of the story was that of guilt and how it guided the characters’ ac- tions. As always, we analyzed the main characters and their moti- vations. (We often wonder how the author whose work we are discussing would react to our com- ments.) Ratings for this selection ranged from 4 (1 vote) to 9 (2 votes); 8 received the greatest number of votes. A nostalgic note: Peanuts: A Golden Celebration, by Charles M. Schulz, is No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list for March 5, Marilyn Rudolph, Children’s Librarian, announces that a spe- cial program, “Cinderella’s Storyland,” will be held April 12 to celebrate National Library Week. Registration will be required. More details will be given next week. Dallas High School reunion organizers seek classmates Reunion committee members for Dallas Class of 1980 are look- ing for addresses for the following people: Kimberly Barby, Barry Baseski, Wayne Beakley, Lori Leib Bolton, Cynthia Davis Boyd, Timothy Brennan, Barbara Brody, Devin Brunges, Pamela Carey, Edmund Castallini, David Cevasco, Molly Duffy Chandiramani, Richard Crake, John Deitz, William Dewey, Brent Dilley, Karen Dillfield, Ronald Dombrowski, Robert Edwards, Michael Evans, Lois Faller, Lis Spar Fischer, Lynn Noone Fisher, David Friedman, Donna Gashi, Conrad Goeringe, Allan Gordon, Wilson Gregory, Robert Groblewski, Candace Gar- rison Hatten, Catherine Kemmerer Hayes, Pattilyn Heist, Sharon Herbert, Shari Hodges, Lauren Hrynyshn, Diana Saunders Ide, Molly BraceJanczek, RobinJones, Bijan Movafegh Joorabi, Robert Kalafsky, Jennifer Kern, Michelle Krivak Kirk, Janet Davies Kleinhample, Dawn Eveland Klemunes, Marilyn Knepp, Connie Jo Suder Koenig, Kimberly Ellsworth Lane, Thomas Lehet, Jeffrey Matus, James McDonald, Mary Beth Kile McMurtry, Leonard Nordfors, Mark O'Neill, Lori Sorber Panzetta, Francis Parsons, Mor- gan Phillips, Andrew Pinter, Renee Young Prescott, Mark Reihus, Susan Ridall, Charles Rollman, Trudianne Rozelle, Brenda Johnson Saxe, David Scutt, Jef- frey Seizys, Chester Shemanski, Rodman Shoemaker, Diana Schroders, Bernard Somon, Ken- neth Sitkowski, David Stibgen, Harold Stout, Reba Bolton Strickler, Nancy Frantz Thomas, Norma Bordley Thomas, Marga- ret Kopetchney Toma, Mary Har- ris Villa, Laurie Wallace, Lynn Warneka, Diane Wendling, Lisa Cissarelli Wincek, Neil Wodaski, Kevin Yeisley. Information on anyone, please call Suzanne Williams Gallagher at 714-2969 ior: E-mail: dallas_reun80@hotmail.com. 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 State Officials State Senator Charles D. Lemmond (Republican) (717) 675-3931 e-mail: smurphy@pasen.gov 22 Dallas Shopping Ctr., Memo- rial 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 Township except for the north voting district, and Kingston Township. (0 I I YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - March 7, 1930 DALLAS BOARD CONSIDERS ADDING YEAR TO H.S. STUDY All students interested in the organization of a school band are asked to meet at the Dallas Town- ship vocation school this morning at 10 a.m. Instruments will be furnished to all students wishing to become members of the band. Instruction will be free. Professor Rich will be the director of the band and practice will be held once a week throughout the re- mainder of the school term and during the summer months. Plans for the addition of the twelfth year to the high school curriculum were discussed at the meeting of Dallas borough school board held in the high school building on Tuesday night. 60 Years Ago - March &, 1940 BACK MOUNTAIN STUDENTS COMPETE IN SPELLING BEE Pupils from the 5th, 6th,7th, and 8th grades of Shavertown and Trucksville schools will compete in a spelling bee to be held at the high school on March 20, from 1:30 to 3:30. The two best spell- ers will represent the local school at a county contest on March 29. You could get: 1 doz. eggs - 25¢; Boneless fish fillets -10¢/ Ib.; Pork chops - 15¢/lb; Scot toilet tissue - 3 rolls 20¢; Scot paper towels, 2 rolls 17¢. 50 Years Ago - March 10, 1950 DALLAS RECEIVES FUNDING FOR POLICE PENSIONS Dallas gets $19.22 as its share of the funds available for police pensions, as announced by Audi- tor General, Weldon B. Heyburn, Harrisburg. The total for the en- tire state is $225,084.89 distrib- uted among 563 municipalities of the Commonwealth. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hilbert celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary by having an open house. They received 82 cards and many gifts from friends and family. 40 Years Ago - March 10, 1960 BLIZZARD CATCHES SCHOOL OFFICIALS OFF-GUARD In the midst of a howling bliz- zard, schools of the Back Moun- tain area dismissed children at lunch time on Thursday. Buses had to crawl through 10 inches of snow to make their rounds. Fore- casts of heavy snow which did not materialize on two occasions dur- ing February, caused school ad- ministrators to decide not to call of sessions before school started. Women of Prince of Peace will hear a talk on antique glass and furniture, given by Eugene W. Hanley and Robert Davis, of the Silver Sleigh Antique Shop, Tues- day evening. 30 Years Ago - March 12, 1970 DALLAS ROTARY CLUB NOTES ANNIVERSARY Dallas Rotary Club’s charter night will be commemorated at the regular meeting of the club tonight at 6:30 at the Irem Coun- try Club. Earl Phillips, president of the Dallas Club, has urged members to be present at the commemoration of the beginning of the club which dates back to the 1920's. The Dallas Senior High School band will present its annual spring concert March 20, in the school auditorium. Included in the pro- gram will be the senior high school band, the stage band, a 100-piece grade school band, woodwind trio, brass ensemble, the senior high school choristers and the major- ettes. 20 Years Ago - March 6, 1980 HORTICULTURE EXPERT OFFERS GARDENING TIPS E.V. Chadwick, county exten- sion director, Penn State Exten- sion, will conduct home garden- ing classes at 7 p.m. on March 24 and March 31, at the Kingston Township Municipal Building. Township residents are invited to participate in the sessions which were very well received last spring. Gate of Heaven Brownie Troop 623, recently held a father-daugh- ter evening. The girls prepared and served light refreshments. . The father-daughter teams then completed bird feeders which will be on display during Girl Scout Week. le w! ~ 9 af at af - @
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers