SH ne Re 4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA = Wednesday, November 29, 2000 EDITORIALS Can't handle a saw? Here's a way to help Habitat This is the season of giving, and folks in the Back Mountain are finding all manner of ways to help others have a better life, at least for a little while. Food drives bring in thousands of items that can fill empty stomachs, which are more numerous than we imagine. Students at Dallas and Lake-Lehman schools have completed coat collections so that children and adults who can't afford to buy winter garments won't have to shiver in the biting winter wind. And a group of energetic and concerned people even helps refurbish houses for families that would otherwise not know the comfort and security of their own home. : Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that has attracted local volunteers who donate time, money and materials to renovate and construct modest but serviceable housing for low-income families. Well, not exactly for, more like with, since the homeowners must work alongside the volun- teers to demonstrate their commitment to improving their living conditions. Begun in 1976, Habitat has attracted high profile volunteers such as former President Jimmy Carter, and Back Mountain residents like Morag Michael. She and many other local folks have worked on Habitat homes in the past, and are near completion on a project that will benefit a family in __ Nanticoke. The local chapter of Habitat for Humanity will hold a fundraising concert Friday, Dec. 8 at the Shavertown United Methodist Church. You may never want to swing a hammer or frame out a window, but this is your chance to support people who take on those tasks so that deserving families will have a decent place to live. The concert, which features Rev. Janet Clark, a co-pastor at the church as a member of the Sister Spirit singing group, begins at 8 p.m. They'll be joined by A Touch of Brass, a five-piece band, for an evening of enjoyable seasonal entertainment. Publisher's notebook | Try as they might, everyone born after My Generation can't escape us Baby Boomers. Don't believe it? Then why was the top-selling album last week “1,” containing 27 of the Beatles greatest hits. So what if it was released 30 years after the band broke up, the Beatles still rule! (To use an up-to-date phrase.) And what about this year’s (and maybe next year’s) presiden- tial election? Two Baby Boomer-types from head to toe, unwill- . ing to give up their prize even if it means the destruction of the republic. It’s not exactly like occupying buildings at Columbia, but it shows that our spirit of rebellion — or was it entitlement . — hasn’t disappeared. Then again, W doesn’t seem to have rebelled against his folks, unless you count going into the baseball instead of the oil business evidence of youthful defiance. It’s going to get worse, folks. I heard a report on the radio the other day to the effect that businesses catering to the “over 50” crowd are expected to do just fine, thank you, even if the general economy collapses. It seems we Boomers are doing a good job of hanging on to our money, or maybe it’s the zillions we're inheriting from our thrifty parents. Either way, if you're selling convertibles to geezers, or retirement housing, things are looking bright. As for the rest of you who depend on younger people’s cash - well, don’t plan that McMansion just yet. They'll have to wait for us to take our last breath before they get their hands on our mutual funds. Some economists say the Boomer generation is so dominat- ing just because of its size. Phooey I say; it’s obvious that our superior intelligence and moral authority are the keys to our success. Just look at the public figures who came out of our times: Martha Stewart, Carlos Santana, Bill Clinton. Well, maybe not all of us fit the same mold. Anyway, we Boomers are here to stay, at least for another 30 years or so, so get used to it. 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 Ronald A. Bartizek PUBLISHER Charlotte E. Bartizek ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ken Brocious ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Elizabeth Skrapits REPORTER Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Barr OFFICE MANAGER /3 ) PRINTED WITH A Trt A fine, feathered friend. Photo by Anker Petersen. LETTERS | Stores asked to handle magazines with care Editor, A national organization to which we belong, named “Moral- ity in Media”, has urged us and others to write to our local super- markets to complain about the display of offensive magazine cov- | ers in checkout lanes, where such covers can readily be seen and read by young children exiting the store with their mothers. We wrote to three local super- markets, Mr. Z's, BiLo, and the Thomas Family Market on July 30, October 4 and again, in the case of BiLo, on October 23, re- . questing these stores to shield particularly salacious magazine covers from the view of children exiting their stores. Mr. Z's responded immediately to the effect that they were al- ready beginning a “shield” pro- gram in all of their stores. The Thomas Family Market has ig- nored our letters. BilLo ignored our initial letter, but responded to our second letter to the effect that they had never before received a complaint about the display of salacious magazine covers in checkout lanes or elsewhere, that their policy was currently being reviewed, and that their current policy (or what we would call their current lack of policy) would re- main in effect pending the comple- tion of their review process. We advised these stores on October 4 that it would be our intention to publicize in the local media the names of local markets which had responded to our com- plaints and the nature of their response, and that is our reason for writing to you. Those who wish to thank Mr. Z's for their willingness to help deal with the problem of sala- cious magazine covers can do so by their patronage and also in whatever other way they deem appropriate, and those who dis- approve of the indifference shown by the Thomas Family Market and the lack of any affirmative action by BiLo may do so, of course, by withholding their pa- tronage, by oral or written com- plaints to the management, and by any other manner which they see fit to employ. In the absence of more than one complaint, the lat- ter two stores will obviously do nothing. R.L. Fleming E.D. Fleming Dallas A pair of special side dishes for the season Fans of National Public Radio's All Things Con- sidered, the evening news show, have been treated for many years to this recipe, provided by Susan Stamberg, the host for 20 years. It came from her late mother-in-law, and in addition to being given over the air each November, Ms. Stamberg has generously posted it, and another favorite, on the NPR website, www.npr.org. The recipes are re- printed without permission but we hope Ms. Stamberg and the folks at NPR will forgive our failure to obtain same in the spirit of the season. Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish Recipe * 2 cups raw cranberries * 1 small onion * 1/2 cup sugar * 3/4 cup sour cream * 2T Horseradish Grind the cranberries & onion together...Add remaining ingredients and Put in a plastic container and freeze. An hour before serving, move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment to thaw. The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. Makes 1 1/2 pints! * 4 TBS sugar And here's a little something extra — my TRULY favorite cranberry sidedish. It’s from Madhur Jaffrey’s Cookbook - East/West Menus for Family and Friends, published by Harper & Row, 1987 Garlicky Cranberry Chutney * 1-inch fresh ginger * 3 cloves finely chopped garlic * 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar * 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper * |-Ib. can cranb. sauce with berries * 1/2 tsp salt (or less) * ground black pepper Cut ginger into paperthin slices, stack them to- gether and cut into really thin slivers. ; Combine ginger, garlic, vinegar, sugar and cay- enne in a small pot. mix. liquid left. Bring to a simmer, simmer on medium flame about 15 minutes or until there are about 4 TBS Add can of cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. Mix and bring to a simmer. Lumps are ok. Simmer on a gentle heat for "about 10 minutes. Cool, store and refrigerate. It will keep for several days, if you don't finish it ALL after first taste! It's better to give than to receive. A gift subscription to The Da Sa AE ~ Da Tell X \ las Post The Ceol Side Jack Hilsher An open letter to ‘Square Rats’ Although this column is for seniors, I've been reading about how teenagers are having all sorts of serious problems, like “finding™) themselves” or “learning who they are,” and being called "Square Rats” because they are bored out of their skulls and “hang out” on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square un- til the fuzz boots them out. I've also observed their antics first-hand, watching a group in front of the Martz bus terminal bounce a ball using only their feet. Very clever. And their sport caps were turned around so the) sun visor was in the back. I re- member that great remark by a Valley West coach to his team: “As soon as you turn your caps back- ward you automatically drop 50 points in your IQ.” He should have been given a medal. Anyway you poor, bored, be- wildered young persons, leavin aside the question of why your parents didn’t tell you this stuff, I have decided to help. First, there is a wonderful building on South Franklin called a library. A library is a building where a collection of books and magazines are kept. If you can read, in time spent there (or in branch libraries all over the Valley) you will discover new worlds of great wonder. You will be transported there and bore dom will be banished forever. When I grew up in Williamsport (pronounced “Weeyamsport”), we had a public square too, but I seldom hung out there, only passed through to visit the James V. Brown library where I spent so much time people probably thought I lived there. But perhaps books bore you. € If so, no problem. Go to the “Y” and play handball, or swim, or play table tennis, or basketball. Join the chess club and challenge your mind. Try tennis. Try any activity and see your muddy thoughts clear up as soon as you become refreshingly tired. Not the active type? Then get a hobby. In my teen years two out of every three boys collected stamps or coins. The third built modelg, airplanes. (What girls did I can't say because my interest in them came only after they started changing shape.) Try a dog and take him for a walk, or raise tropical fish ... get a boy fish and a girl fish and count the babies. If still have not turned you on to something and you just want to “hang out” then why the Square? I realize there are no more front porches, where you could swing and think, but what about: dens, family rooms, rec rooms? A pool table? Card games, board games, Monopoly, check- ers, dominos? Fun then, fun now. But the games you choose to play scare me. The newspaper article depicting current teen ac- tivity tells of something called “Vampires” where dice and role dD playing are involved, with differ- ent players taking on different characters. It said shootings and stabbings are involved somehow and kept the group “laughing for at least 20 minutes.” This kept me justabout speech- less. The paper this story appeared in is often fond of “viewing with alarm” and has come close tq%y predicting the end of civilization itself. Yet they did not bat an eye or a comma about such behavior. I can't figure out why. One con- cern | have is when they reach voting age will we have a hip-hop rapper for president? (Not that it wouldn't present an improvement over what we now have.) At any rate, my Square friends, I sincerely trust that this has all been of some help. As for me, it has been, like, totally awesome man! Have something to say? Send it to: dalpost@epix.net Include a name and phone number where you can be reached. § | Ie (a La
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers