REIT REAR 7 4) 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, October 18, 2000 EDITORIALS A business/governement partnership that works It can be confusing, particularly in a presidential election year, to know where the line is drawn between government and the rest of our lives. For example, politicians love to claim credit for economic and scientific advancements in which their only role was to put up money, or grant tax breaks. Meanwhile, many business people — even those who feed at the public trough — claim their success is entirely of their own making, and would have been even greater if government would just get out of the way. . Of course, both extremes are incorrect, and we are fortunate to have in our midst an example of how private enterprise and government can truly work together to foster job growth and preserve valuable resources. That example is the Twin Stacks Center in Dallas, where an ambitious and entrepreneurial couple has turned a vacant former textile mill into a vibrant, varied workplace for 500 people. They did it with plenty of cooperation from local and county government, but not a dime of taxpayer money. Lynn Banta and Rick Haas took on a challenge hardly anyone would find appealing — turning a hulking old building filled with 50 years’ worth of dirt, grime and possible toxic contamination into a modern office and retail complex that has attracted a signature restaurant, a high-tech company and several other enterprises. Undoubtedly there were times even they thought the challenge was too great, but in the end their persistence and the support of others saw them through. Rick Haas is fond of saying he and his wife “recycled” the former Natona Mills, and he’s correct in that assessment. Instead of a vacant eyesore, or an underused warehouse, Twin Stacks Center is a symbol of the Back Mountain's vitality and one couple's vision. It is a credit to both. School spirit or silliness? This is spirit week, when local high schools promote pride and accomplishment in the days leading up to homecoming celebrations. But is cross dressing a positive way to help students feel good about themselves and their school? Today, you see, is Backwards Sex Day at Dallas High School, when students are encouraged to attend class dressed as members of the opposite sex. Monday was Pajama Day, when they were invited to wear their bedclothes to school. Just good, clean fun, say supporters of these activities, including many graduates of the schools. Maybe so, but it would seem these silly celebrations are more appropriate for grade school children than for teenagers, who receive enough encouragement to focus on the stupid and superficial outside of school. There must be better ways to build school spirit than these. Publisher's notebook I had not fully realized the dramatic changes that have taken place in national politics until last week. But when I was watching a segment of the Public Broadcasting Service's series about the war on drugs, it hit me like a ton of bricks. The revelation was about as welcome as that occurrence, too. Here's what happened: By chance I tuned in as the show reached the early 1970s, when Richard Nixon, perhaps the most-reviled of modern presidents, was in office. The Vietnam War was not going well, and thousands of troops were coming back addicted to heroin, which presented yet another public relations problem for the administration. This show included film of a White House conference, with Nixon surrounded at a huge table by advisors as they discussed the problem and potential solutions. Throughout, Tricky Dick solicited opinions from others while making his points firmly and clearly. Not once did he melt into fuzzy compassion or teary sympathy. And he didn’t bite his trembling lower lip at all. Here was the man we loved to hate 25 years ago looking downright . . presidential! My knees buckled at a startling reaction, a fleeting thought along the lines of, “Why can’t we have candidates that look and act like this?” I tried to come out of it, but couldn’t shake the notion that here, for all his faults, was a much more impressive president than anyone in the last 20 years. Then I realized (or rationalized), it wasn’t so much that I admired Nixon but that we've seen a wholesale retreat from forceful, plain spoken candidates. It all started with that master in imagery, Ronald Reagan, who often lost the distinction between reality and fantasy, but we didn’t care since he played the role so well. After four years of haughty George I, we got Bill Clinton, who's act fooled me once, but not twice. So, what am I to do this year? Vote for George II, or for a man who seems to have the right stuff, but doesn’t dare show it for fear of seeming mean and nasty. I guess I'll just have to make my choice, and hope the president is superior to the candidate. More than ever A Real Hometown Paper you can feel good about The Dallas Post 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 Elizabeth Skrapits REPORTER Joanna Cease OFFICE/TYPIST/CLASSIFIEDS Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER #1 PRINTED WITH PENNSYLVANIA 1 ’ SOY INK r. Member NEWSPAPER Just hanging around, a symbol of the harvest season. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. LETTERS Air Force veteran wonders why he's ineligible for Legion Editor, A few weeks ago you carried a short article on the American Le- gion, listing the dates of military service which determined mem- bership eligibility. Conspicuously absent were the dates of my active service in the United States Air Force, September 1956, to Sep- tember, 1960. This, of course, ‘makes me ineligible for member- ship in the American Legion, ex- ceptas anon-voting "home" mem- ber. Even after all this time, and numerous letters to the American Legion and various legislators I have yet toreceive an answer that justifies this kind of discrimina- tion. I served overseas during an armed conflict (the first battle of Lebanon declared by President Einsenhower in 1958), and I was honorably discharged after four long, grueling years. If that isn't sacrifice enough to be a member of the Legion, then others should start looking more closely at the actual service performed by some more favored veterans who are eligible. John P. Bergevin Dallas ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - Oct. 17, 1930 SURVEYOR FINDS BEAVER DAM Frank P. Plessinger, surveyor for the State Game Commission had just completed a six month survey of 20,000 acres of timber- land purchased in Wyoming County by the commission. He stated that his party had discov- ered a large beaver house and dam in the wilds of the country, six miles from any habitation and almost inaccessible by any road. The pond formed by the dam cov- ered an area of about 15 acres and had developed approximately four years earlier. 60 Years Ago - Oct. 18, 1940 1,500 MEN REGISTER Ready to win in their country's defence, if need be, more than 1,500 men from Dallas and its six neighboring communities regis- tered for selective military train- The economic VIEW pOIn Howard Grossman While many people do not like the idea of mergers and consoli- dations of local governments, there are other ways to approach this issue which provide opportu- nities to improve delivery of ser- vices while maintaining the iden- tification and governmental struc- ture currently available in Penn- sylvania. Some of these tech- niques are Councils of Govern- ment (COG), joint delivery of ser- vices through intergovernmental compacts, and professionalizing the delivery of service through municipal managers. In recent months, several articles have been written regarding proposals for municipal joint delivery of ser- vices including, but not limited to, fire protection and police ser- vices. Councils of Government con- tinue to spring up in places across Northeastern Pennsylvania. Many opportunities exist to explore dif- ferent approaches to the delivery of services which are important to ing and were awaiting the na- tional lottery that would deter- mine which of them would be called to serve in the U.S. Army. "They're the happiest bunch I ever saw," on draft official commented after all of the cards bearing the names of all the men who had volunteered were packed up and dispatched to the Luzerne County Courthouse to become part of the nationwide conscription reserve. 50 Years Ago - Oct. 20, 1950 BUSY-BEES ARE SHORT ON HONEY Local beekeepers predicted that honey would be in short supply because the bees had not been able to stock their hives as well as they had in more seasonable sum- mers. During the peak of nectar season, late spring and early sum- mer, it had rained almost every day. Although the rain did not add up to a significant amount, it was enough to dampen the bees’ wings and confine them to their hives. The remainder of the sum- mer was cold, missing the frost mark by only a few degrees. Ralph Rood, veteran Dallas beekeeper, and Rev. Charles Frick, Pikes Creek, said that they wouldn't be able to take any honey from the supers this year because the bees probably had enough to keep themselves healthy during the winter, but none to spare. Now playing at Himmler The- atre, "Three Little Words" starring Fred Astaire and Red Skelton. 40 Years Ago - Oct. 20, 1960 YOU COULD GET: Gleem toothpaste, tube, 31¢; Golden Fluffo, 1 Ib. can, 31¢; Kraft Marshmallow Creme, 7 oz. jar, 19¢; Pillsbury pancake mix, 2 1b. pkg., 39¢; Star- kist tuna fish, 6.5 oz. can, 31¢; Nescafe instant coffee, 10 oz. jar, $1.39; Royal pudding, 4 pkgs., 39¢; Tetley tea, pkg. 100, $1.23. 30 Years Ago - Oct. 22, 1970 NOXEN TO HAVE 6-MAN POLICE FORCE Noxen residents presented a petition to the Township Board of Supervisors requesting police pro- tection. Supervisors planned to establish a six-man force at their regular meeting when an ordi- nance creating the police force would become effective. The six officers had already been selected and only a formal appointment was needed. An annual salary of S1 was to be paid each man, and expenses such as motor vehicle, uniforms, badges, sidearms, etc. would be reimbursed. 1.75 oz. A one car accident resulted in $1,000 worth of damage toa 1971 Dodge coupe. According to the driver and witnesses, a blue Fal- con station wagon forced the driver off the left side of the roadway as he was traveling north on Route 309 near the Kunkle intersection. The driver lost control of his car, swerved across the road, Vip) into the berm on the right si@e and struck a tree. The driver of the coupe was not injured, but the car had to be towed from the scene. The station wagon's driver failed to stop at the accident site. 20 Years Ago - Oct. 16, 1980 INMATES LEARN FUNDAMENTALS OF FLYING Inmates at the State Corr) tional Institution at Dallas were learning the fundamentals of fly- ing. Two inmates at the Dallas Institution who were both licensed pilots, approached the institution's superintendent, seeking permission to conduct an F.A.A. oriented aviation ground school. Superintendent Glen Jeffes, after reviewing the pze- gram of instruction and bell assured that the inmates would not request an airplane for any advanced flight training, agreed to the class. Cooperation can help local towns citizens of municipalities in the Back Mountain, in the Abingtons, and in other places where growth and development are important concerns. Councils of Government vary in power and prestige across the Commonwealth. They require strong municipal governmental leadership to enable what has been a traditional mode of service delivery to become intergovern- mental in scope and quality and, most importantly, in a manner beneficial to the citizens of the municipalities served by the COG. Currently, there are nearly 20 Councils of Government in Penn- sylvania. Many exist within the Northeastern Pennsylvania region but not all are as active as they could be, and the best examples may exist outside of the region in such places as Centre County (State College) and rnunicipalities surrounding that borough and the Northern York Regional Police Force which includes eight mu- nicipalities, two of which are not even contiguous. In Allegheny County (Pitts- burgh Area), there are 13 Coun- cils of Government. Each mu- nicipality in Northeastern Penn- sylvania should consider ways by which townships, boroughs, or cities can join together, and cause a better delivery of service with- out interfering with the indepen- dence and prerogatives of each local government. For example, it would make great sense for local governments in the Back Moun- tain to think about ways that each could join together to study and evaluate how services can be more effectively delivered, yet re- tain traditional values of local control. : The Pennsylvania Intergovern- mental Cooperation Act, long available as a tool for intergovern- mental activities, has been rein- forced by the Commonwealth Municipal Shared Services Pro- gram administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Com- munity and Economic Develop- ment. The work originally pio- neered by the Pennsylvania De- partment of Community Affairs is now managed through the Governor's Local Government Service Center headed by Deputy Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic De- velopment Kim Coon, a, former county commissioner and a per- son originally raised in the most rural county of Northeastern Pennsylvania — Pike County. Councils of Government can be established quite easily in ar- eas of Northeastern Pennsylva- nia. Assistance can be provided by many different types of organi- zations including, but not limited to, the Pennsylvania Econo{}j}’ League, county planning commis- sions, the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsyl- vania, and others. One activity which might ben- efit all municipal governments would be a regional intergovern- mental analysis to examine how these kinds of activities currently take place and then develop a long-range strategic plan to 3:4 hance the intergovernmental de- livery of services in various parts of the region. For further information regard- ing Councils of Government and other opportunities to enhance and improve the delivery of local governmental services contact can be made with the Scranton Re- gional Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community asd Economic Development, 464 M- rum Building, Harrisburg, PA. 17120 or the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 1151 Oak Street, Pittston, PA 18640. Telephone: (570) 655- 5581, Fax: (570) 654-5137, E- mail: info@edcnp.org, Internet: www.edcnp.org ¢ Howard Grossman is execu)? director of the Economic Develop- ment Council of Northeastern Penn- sylvania. He lives in Dallas.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers