= 33 TENT eT ——— 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, August 9, 2000 EDITORIALS Read all about it, the kids are all right! The young people of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, and judging by the ones in this week's issue of The Dallas Post, we're in good hands. Their interests and activities run the gamut, from show horses to exotic travel, from softball to math. You can bet that many of them are competent at much more than one thing, and it is evident that they all want to do more than win a medal or hear the crowd cheering; they want to help and share with others. As much as they might like to think so, they didn’t get this way without help from loving and supportive parents, teachers, coaches and friends. One man who embodies all those qualities is also featured this week, Ron Moran, who is stepping down after more than a decade as coach of girls soccer at Dallas and nearly as many years as field hockey coach. Throughout his tenure, Ron has run the kind of program any school could be proud of; one that emphasizes personal growth, dedication and team spirit and which also happens to win more often than it loses. When he’s asked about his best memories, Ron doesn’t mention the playoff appearances or key victories, he talks about the enjoyment of working with young people, seeing them grow and having them come back and give him a small measure of credit for their success. There are public service spots running on radio these days that lead you to believe our youth need to combat rampant, undeserved reputations for rebellion, lawlessness and disre- spect. While youth will always show some of those characteris- tics, it’s good to see that when families and communities work together, the good far exceeds the bad. Publisher's notebook Recent surveys have alarmed the journalistic community with reports that more and more people think the press has too much freedom and ought to be held more accountable for its reporting. One survey found about one of five people thought newspapers shouldn't be able to publish freely without govern- ment approval, and an astounding 23 percent said newspapers shouldn't be allowed to criticize public officials. I think we've reached this state of affairs for one of two reasons: 1. The press has spent too much time and ink on stories about sex, sleaze, sleazy sex and Survivor. Or, 2. About 23 percent of Americans now work for the govern- ment. | Of course, that still doesn’t account for the 51 percent who think the press in America has too much freedom, or the 43 percent who say newspapers should not be allowed to endorse political candidates. Those numbers correspond roughly with the share of citizens who don’t participate in the electoral process, so I'll take a wild guess that most of them don’t vote. At least I hope that’s who they are; it would be pretty scary to find that people who are politically active want the press to go away so they can spew out their biases without any balance. I suspect one of the reasons people are responding this way to the press is because they see us as a monolithic industry with a single mindset. That's what Rush Limbaugh tells them, anyway. It's also possible that few people are making an effort to search out voices beyond the one that lands on their doorstep each morning, and they don’t realize how much diversity exists in the tone, tenor and focus of news reporting. It would be really interesting if the next pollster posing these kinds of questions also asked each respondent if it would be okay to outlaw coverage of their favorite subject or ban criticism of the public figure they dislike the most. The response might be similar to what happens when parents are asked about the state of education in America. Generally, they say things are pretty bad, but their school, it's okay. So, this sounds to me like a problem that is quite common in the modern American psyche: What I think and do is wonderful, but everyone else is suspect. As for anyone who really believes freedom is too hot for individuals to handle, there are places for them. One is Baghdad. About letters, columns and editorials The Dallas Post attempts to publish opinions on a variety of topics in many forms. Editorials, which are the opinion of the managment of The Post, appear on the editorial page and are written by the editor unless otherwise indicated. Any artwork represents the opinion of the cartoon- ist, and columns are the opinion of the author. Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, subject to the following guidelines: » Letters should not exceed 500 words. * No writer may have more than one letter published during a 30-day period, except as a reply to another letter. * Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a telephone number for verification. * Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear threat to the writer. The Post retains the right to accept or reject any letter, and to edit letters for grammar and spelling, as well as to eliminate any libel, slander or objectionable wording. In addition to letters, we welcome longer pieces that may run as columns. The author or subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be the prime consideration when selecting material for publication. 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 Hay Bales in the Sun. Photo by Monica Marzani. The economic Viewpol Howard Grossman Tax increment financing can be used as a multiplier effect to enhance job opportunities, im- prove the overall tax base of a community, increase jobs, im- prove the infrastructure such as roads, streets, étc., in an area ofa community which would then lead to further private sector develop- ment. Ifa tax increment financing project does not add jobs rather than redistribute jobs, then it is not doing its best to produce value to the community. Tax increment financing pro- vides the opportunity to utilize the increased value of taxes on properties designated by a tax increment and financing planning process to pay off bonds that have been issued for the project. This is why the word “increment” is so important. A developer would go to the mayor or other community lead- ers and say that he or she would like to conduct a project within the community but needs govern- mental assistance. An appropriately accomplished tax increment financing (TIF) should have significant impact on Tax plans can finance growth the community and probably be applied in deteriorated or run down areas which otherwise would not be developed or rede- veloped. Hopefully, not only would new jobs be created but new buildings and new infrastructure which would benefit as a result of the governmental financing tech- nique. TIF has been applied in North- eastern Pennsylvania. It has been utilized in the cities of Wilkes- Barre and Scranton, based upon legislative authority which was enacted into law by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania and signed by the Governor in 1992. A recent study by the Allegh- eny Institute in Pittsburgh exam- ined the role of TIF within the city of Pittsburgh, where many projects have been undertaken using this tool. Probably, an evalu- ation should be accomplished in Northeastern Pennsylvania, look- ing at the results of TIF and sug- gesting the possibility of this gov- ernmental assistance program being utilized in other geographic places across the region. Another major tool of more re- cent vintage is the Keystone Op- portunity Zone. Keystone Oppor- tunity Zones provide tax abate- ment of up to 12 years in desig- nated geographic areas wherein the local government, the school district, and county government have all agreed to this designa- tion. Almost every tax applied in the geographic area designated as Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) is abated. Keystone Oppor- tunity Zones existin Lackawanna, Luzerne, Schuylkill, and Carbon counties under a plan which was approved by Pennsylvania Gover- nor Tom Ridge in 1998. KOZ has already led to jobs coming to Northeastern Pennsylvania with a recent announcement, for ex- ample, by CanDo, the Hazleton area based industrial development organization, of the location of Convergys which is likely to re- sult in over 600 jobs. Keystone Opportunity Zones are modeled on the renaissance zones in Michigan but changes were made in the Pennsylvania legislation to enable zones in the Commonwealth to be somewhat more flexible. KOZ has become a new word in the vocabulary of economic development profes- sionals in those areas of North- eastern Pennsylvania where they apply. They should not be confused with enterprise zones, another Pennsylvania Department of Com- munity and Economic Develop- ment program originated many years ago and applied to many of the cities or more urban centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Enterprise zones exist in the cit- ies of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Carbondale, Nanticoke, Pottsville, some mid-valley communities in Lackawanna County and else- where. Enterprise zones are more or less tied to central business districts and are administered by local authorities with close partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. These economic development incentive tools deserve close study and analysis on the part of local | development corporations, and other economic development seri} vice providers to determine their full range opportunities, effective- ness, and capacity for encourag- ing the appropriate type of eco- nomic growth. To accomplish this, perhaps one or more higher educational institutions in the region should be asked to conduct a study simi- lar to the one which was recentl published in the Pittsburgh re gion. By measuring the economic and overall community develop- ment impact of these tools, they can be better utilized and strengthened for the benefit of citizens and officials across North- eastern Pennsylvania in the com- ing generations ahead. Anyone desiring additional in- formation regarding any of these program assistance opportunity should contact the Economic De® velopment Council of Northeast- ern Pennsylvania, 1151 Oak Street, Pittston, PA 18640. Tele- phone: (570) 655-5581, Fax: (570) 654-5137, E-Mail: info@edcnp.org. Internet: www.edcnp.org. (0 Jl 4 YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - Aug. 8,1930 CRISPELL'S HOLD FAMILY REUNION The annual Crispell reunion was held at W.S. Kitchen's Grove in Idetown on Thursday, July 31. There had been three births and three marriages since 1929. Forest fires at Cedar Run above Noxen and Loyalville kept more than 200 men occupied combat- ing the flames with back fires and by digging fire lines and ditches. 60 Years Ago - Aug. 9, 1940 PROPOSAL FOR FIRE PLUGS POSTPONED A proposal to install fire plugs in central Dallas was submitted to Dallas Borough Council, but the councilmen postponed action until they had time to investigate the situation thoroughly. The councilmen felt that it would be unfair to use tax money collected from all sections of the town to protect only one section. As an alternate plan, it was suggested that the council authorize the erec- tion of gates which could be used todam up Toby's Creek near Main Street, to assure an adequate supply of water in an emergency. 50 Years Ago - Aug. 11, 1950 ROSS TOWNSHIP CLOSING SCHOOLS Six one-room school houses in Ross Township were expected to close within the next three years. It was decided that a centrally located school in Sweet Valley would accommodate children from all six schools in first through sixth grades. Seventh and eighth graders would go to schools in Shickshinny Borough and Leh- man. The projected building was expected to cost approximately $143,000. Now playing at Himmler The- atre "The Reformer and the Red Head" with June Allyson and Dick Powell. 40 Years Ago - Aug. 11, 1960 DALLAS HAS FIRST BOMB SCARE Dallas had its first bomb scare when an unidentified mature, male voice called a Dallas bank and informed the telephone receptionist that "a bomb is in your bank and will go off shortly!" The operator quietly relayed the message to back officials who immediately notified local and state police and the FBI. Fortunately the message was received at 2:20 p.m., when there were few customers in the bank. An immediate and thorough search of the premises was made by bank employees. According to Commonwealth Telephone Company the call originated locally. 30 Years Ago - Aug. 13, 1970 NEW NURSERY SCHOOL OPENS A new nursery school was scheduled to open on Sept. 15, at the Trinity United Methodist) Church. Classes would be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., four days a week. Out-of-doors play facilities would include swing sets, sliding boards and tricycles. Tu- ition at the school was S30 per month. You could get: California steak, 79¢/1b.; Sweet corn, 59¢/doz.; Jumbo honeydews, 79¢ each; Eight O'Clock Coffee, 3 Ib. bag, $2.35; Jane Parker sandwich cookies, 1.51b. pkg., 49¢; Breyers ice cream, S$1.49/half gallon. 20 Years Ago - Aug. 7, 1980 MICU CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY July 28, marked the first anni- versary of the Back Mountain In- tensive Care Unit (MICU) and thelff} paramedics who operated the ve- hicle. The eight paramedics pro- vided assistance to the local am- bulances in cases of severe injury of sudden illness when advanced life support techniques were re- quired. The MICU was provided through the cooperative efforts of the Dallas Area Fall Fair Associa- tion and the Luzerne County Fair. 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 fy <4 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, Lehman Township, 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. -
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers