4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, July 19, 2000 EDITORIALS Let's work together to make rec park a success While they're not yet ready to declare victory, organizers of the proposed Back Mountain recreation center are optimistic the dream of a regional park with room and facilities for all interests will become a reality. One must look no further than South Abington Township in Lackawanna County to get an idea of how great the demand can be for such a facility. There, a single township has constructed a park that contains fields for baseball, softball and soccer, basketball and volleyball courts, walking trails, a skate park and picnic facilities. In the winter there's even an ice - skating rink. Even though it's a South Abington amenity, the - park draws people from a wide area, simply because it offers so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Mark Dougherty, the township supervisor who championed the South Abington park, says planning is the key to success. There's been plenty of planning for a Back Mountain park already, mostly about where to put it and how to pay for it. As that phase of the project matures, there will be a great opportunity for all interests in the community to participate in deciding the final shape and scope of the finished product. If there's a weakness in the very active sports and recreation community in the Back Mountain, it is a deficit of cooperation “among them. Fields, because they are so limited, are guarded jealously, and practice areas are often poor substitutes for the few well-maintained game sites. Soccer is at a particular disadvantage, with many “home” games being played at the Luzerne County fields in Forty Fort. A simple increase in available space is the first remedy for this situation, but more coordination is important, too. The volunteers who are working behind the scenes to line up financing for the new park must also place a priority on bringing together the organizations and individuals who have a stake in the new facility. Some of the initial discussions, such as with officials from Back Mountain Baseball and Back Mountain Soccer, may best be held privately, but public hearings at which anyone with an interest in recreation can listen and be heard must be part of the mix. There are plenty of people with ideas and experience who would love to help this park fulfill its potential as a place where everyone in the Back Mountain can have an enjoyable outdoor experience. They must not be left out of the process. TNE MIBITEnT Ee am car Publisher's notebook After this year’s baseball all-star game, which was played without some of the brightest stars, we began to hear sugges- tions for improving the event. I have a few ideas of my own, starting with dumping with the sappy music that plays through- out the tedious introduction, clothing a baseball game in the trappings of a royal coronation. The most bizarre proposal for the game would make it a contest of native players versus anyone born outside the U.S. Supporters point to the National Hockey League format as an example, which successfully pits U.S. and Canada against the rest of the world. Since the best hockey players come from our northern neighbor and Europe, it's understandable that NHL all-star games are popular when played this way. Butl can't get past the thought that people are already in enough separate camps in our culture, so it doesn't make sense to create another division. On the other hand, if advocates of this format are correct, there are many other opportunities to more finely apportion society. Here are a few ways it might work at the local level: e Let's continue the baseball theme. We could have Little League rosters by ethnic origin, say the Dallas Dagos against the Shavertown Slavs. * Eye color could be another deciding factor, although I think the Back Mountain Blues would have a definite advantage. e To use a thoroughly modern standard, put all players who arrive at a game in an SUV that is larger than a blue whale on one team, and everyone whose car is smaller than a Salvation Army collection bin on another. e How about if we use family income as a benchmark? This would be the ultimate 21st century factor. We could have teams made up of players from families making $50,000 a year or more vs. those below $50,000. Or you could cut the distinc- tions finer, say every $15,000 is a new team. I hope you get my point. At a time when we should be extolling excellence regardless of race, color, creed or national origin, serious people are going out of their way to separate the best baseball players into artificial opponents. Maybe it’s just my 60’s sensibilities, but I think we ought to work together toward worthwhile achievements, and simply learn to get along with one another. 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 570-675-5211 Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OFFICE MANAGER Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Ken Brocious : ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Bill Goodman REPORTER Joanna Cease OFFICE/TYPIST/CLASSIFIEDS Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER 7} PRINTED WITH PENNSYLVANIA a # x Summer blooms. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Library news tember 11. will start again on Monday, Sep- Summer readers urged to keep reading! be used by the staff. In June visits were made by Mrs. Rudolph and Mrs. Bauman Carol King Children’s library Family Game Night, the first in the se- ries of special programs for sum- mer readers, was held early in July. We hope that parents will help every child who registered for the Summer Reading Program to ful- fill the simple requirements and enjoy the positive feelings of achieving a goal. The activities are fun, too! Children enjoy spin- ning the Millenium Clock in order to choose their week's assignment, and adding shapes to the ever- growing Bookworm when they report its completion. It now stretches half way ‘round the children’s library. The final special event for sum- mer readers will be the “Magic Awards Party,” to be held Friday, August 4, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. It will feature Keppel's Magical Reading Program. Readers will receive certificates for taking part in the reading program and com- pleting the eight books or activi- ties. Call the children’s library, at 675-1182, for more information. Children: KEEP READING! There is still time to complete the program and receive your award. Book store The Book Store will re-open on Monday, August 14. Until September 6 it will be open on Monday and Wednesday only, from 1 to 7 p.m. Regular hours Librarian's report The library received a grant from the Gates Foundation for four workstations and software. Two of the comput- ers which were replaced are now Both the clock and the Bookworm’s “tail” are seen in the picture of Annmarie Wempa and Stephen Wempa, Jr. [placement in to 3rd and 4th graders in the Lake-Noxen, Ross Elementary, and Lehman-Jackson Schools to tell them about the library and its summer reading programs. Kathy Finnerty and 16 handicapped students from the Lake-Lehman School District toured the li- brary and listened to stories on June 5th. On June 6th, the li- brary was host to 60 first-grade students from Lake-Noxen. Totals for June were: circulation, 9,052; books added, 201; new borrowers, 117; active borrow- ers, 12,905. Displays Library patrons have loaned many interesting col- lections for display in ‘the case over recent months. If you have one you'd like to share, please contact the library at 675- 1182. relation to the article: left, right, whatever?], who have completed the reading game requirements and are now Readers 2000 — Masters of the Millenium! available to patrons to use for word processing, and a third has been assigned to the Book Store. The new fourth workstation will Golf tournament Golfers of the area, be advised that on Monday, October 16, a tournament will be held at noon at the Irem Temple Country Club. All proceeds benefit the library. Watch for further details. 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., Memorial Hwy., Dallas PA 18612-1231 State Representative George Hasay (Republican) 287-7505 or 542-7345 or 474-2276 or 477-3752 119 S. Mountain Blvd., Mountaintop PA 18707 Hasay’s district encompasses: Harveys Lake, Leh- man Township, Jackson Township, Lake Town- ship, Franklin Township, Ross Township, and Dal- 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. ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - July 18, 1930 FARM HOUSE DESTROYED BY FIRE The farm house on the prop- erty. of i J.G. - Weidner in Centermoreland, was completely destroyed by fire. The blaze was caused by a defective chimney flue in the kitchen stove, and by the time the fire was discovered, it was so far beyond control that all efforts to distinguish it were fu- tile. The Kingston Township school board held its monthly meeting, at which time contracts for the hauling of coal and the transpor- tation of the children were awarded. Howard Leek and Son, were awarded a one year contract to haul coal for the school build- ing at the low bid of 89 cents per ton. The contract for transport- ing children from various parts of the township to the school house, were awarded to Seth Howell for one route for three years at a bid of $173.50. The second route was given to Abe Gay for a bid of $200. 60 Years Ago - July 19, 1940 RESIDENTS TRY TO HELP REFUGEE CHILDREN A number of residents in the area expressing a willingness to care for European child refugees for the duration of the war, dis- covered that it was more than a matter of asking for a child and promptly receiving one. There were more families who wanted to care for a child, than there were refugees seeking homes. At the time, no European children had arrived to the area. Few children from England had been brought over to the United States because of quota restrictions, which had only been lifted a few days earlier, and because of the scarcity of ships to bring the children over. 50 Years Ago - July 21, 1950 LIEUTENANT GARRITY PROMOTED Thomas P. Garrity of Alderson, was one of seven reserve airmen who were promoted in rank from second to firstlieutenant, through orders received by the command- ing officer, Colonel Stanley K. Wahlborn from Langley Field, Vir- ginia. During the war Lieutenant Garrity served with the 8th Air Force in England as a B-24 pilot, and later with the 20th A.F. as a B-29 pilot. You could get: Iceberg lettuce, 2 lg. heads, 19¢; fresh cucum- bers, 4 for 19¢; California or- anges, 39¢/doz.; Virginia Lee an- gel food cakes, 29¢ each; Swift's peanut butter, 12 oz. jar. ’ 40 Years Ago - July 21, 1960 SPCA HAS OVER 900 STRAYS During the two month's of op- eration since the opening of its it new headquarters building in Plains, the Luzerne County S.P.C.A. had picked up more than 900 stray dogs and cats. Less than fifty of those animals had been placed for adoption, and very few had been claimed by owners. 30 Years Ago - July 23, 1970 CRAZY HAT SHOW PLANNED A Crazy Hat Show was among many activities planned for King- ston Township children as part of the community's summer recre- ation program. Prizes would be awarded for hats judged to be the most original, funniest, largest, prettiest, and best designed. A summer band concert was presented in the Dallas High School gymnasium. All the stu- dents who took part in the Dallas School District summer music program participated in the con- cert. Aband of seventh to twelfth grade students, a grade school band, and several groups of twirl- ers were included in the concert program. 20 Years Ago - July 17, 1980 MEMORIAL AUCTION MEETS g GOAL Volunteers of the 1980 Back Mountain Memorial Library Auc- tion were elated to learn that the $50,000 goal set by the commit- tee had been met. $47,500 was raised through the auction with the other money coming from the mini-auction at the pre-auction dinner and the Ham 'N Yegg Club. This year, the library qualified for the first time, for state funding to supplement the money raised through the auction and by li- brary fines. -
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers