4 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA December 20, 2000 EDITORIALS Christmas reminds us of the power of humility “And so this is Christmas,” goes the John Lennon lyric. “Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.” That wish is reality for most Americans this year, with the number of our soldiers in harm’s way at historic low levels. At home, more of us are working than ever before, and violent crime has decreased at dramatic rates. While we are far from wiping out poverty, or putting an end to domestic violence, overall we surely are the most secure and most affluent society in the history of mankind. Is that enough? Two thousand years ago, a child was born who brought joy and hope to the shepherds in the fields and to poor people in ancient villages. His birth was so momentous that many of the richest and most powerful men of the day sent emissaries bearing gifts to show their respect and obeisance. One must ~ wonder what the reaction would be today, in a world where humility seems a more precious commodity. than was. gold in those ancient days. Could such an event push mega mergers and overpaid sports figures off our front pages, or would it be treated as an oddity that anyone could be so excited bow a poor child born in a makeshift nursery? Christmas is not a universal holiday, of course, since it is the linchpin of just one of the world’s major religions. But the message of a humble child who is really the king of kings has enormous appeal and meaning, particularly at a time when too many of us — the most fortunate people ever to walk the Earth — are consumed by the drive to acquire money and goods as a means of fulfillment. No matter what your faith, keeping the Christmas spirit in your holidays this year will make them more about our fellow man, and less about things. The ‘Banded Beast’ will make waste useful again Compost may not be the most glamorous of materials, but it serves a very useful purpose. Thanks to the folks at the Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA) and a generous state grant, Back Mountain gardeners will have ready access to as much as they need to better make their gardens grow. DAMA has put into service the “Banded Beast,” a large machine that will convert organic waste into a soil-enriching mixture formed from last month’s grass clippings and raked leaves. Aside from being a source of free compost, the Beast will remove about 450 tons of organic matter from landfills, leaving more room for waste that belongs in them, while reducing gases and other residue. Altogether, it’s a clear victory for local towns and for the environment — a good deal all around. | Publisher's notebook Ron Bartizek I’m so gratified that my many fans called, frantically worried that I might not be writing a column any longer. My thanks to both of you; your loyalty is an inspiration. Truth be told, though, I have been thinking about taking a break, since subject matter just seems to be harder to come by with each passing week. For example, in the past I've written about the outrageous salaries being paid to overgrown boys who play games with sticks and balls. But my rants have apparently had little effect, judging by the package Alex Rodriguez just got from the Texas Rangers. Seems Golden-Rod, as his friends call him behind his back, will be making about $170,000 each game for the next 10 years, or in all about enough to buy Seattle, who’s team lost out on the bidding for his services. And I thought Shaq was overpaid for a guy who couldn’t win a third-grade foul shooting contest. As for politics, long a staple of know-it-all pundits, what's left to write? The 2000 Election Epic cost more, took longer, and finished less satisfactorily than any campaign in a century. And that was before the Supreme Court joined the circus by first halting recounts, then after a few days ruled there wasn’t enough time to recount. I know a banana republic when I see one, so I wouldn’t dare criticize that bunch or I'll end up as one of the disappeared. Even my children are becomingaless useful source of column ideas. I wrote a few weeks ago about their growing appetite for expensive toys and clothing, only to be brought up short when Katie said she really didn’t want that much for Christmas, since she has most everything she needs. What a great kid. Fear not, though. The holidays are here, and should present a bagful of column ideas, especially if fueled by ample amounts of food and drink. Send or bring your items to: The Dallas Post, P.0. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 or drop them off at our office at 607 Main Road, Dallas. Deadline: Fridays at 4 p.m. Season's greetings on the wall at Lake-Noxen School. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. An environmentalist's Northwest journal What's on the Horizon? Rick Koval This is a monthly column writ- ten by members of the North Branch Land Trust, which is head- quartered in Trucksville. October 13, 2000 - My son, Alex, and I meet an old friend for lunch in Seattle. I have just ar- rived after a smooth non-stop flight from Philly. Soon, we are on a bus from a “Park ‘n Ride” to the sta- dium ‘where we enjoy the third game of the Mariner / Yankee play- off series. Trains passing in the twilight add much to the ambi- ance. Oct. 14 - Alex and I attended a one-day conference.on Growth Management in Washington State. The first thing [ learned is that we had been in the minority in taking public transport the day before: only 3 percent of commuters in . the Seattle area are using busses and trains. (Alex lives in Port- land, Oregon, where it is closer to 60 percent.) We listen to a most amazing address by Rosemarie Ives, the Mayor of Redmond WA. She is much more of an environ- mental activist than most of the environmentalists I have met on the East coast. She requires all of her department heads to read Eben Fodor’s book “The Cost of Growth in Washington State.” She has presided gover an actual de- crease in the size of the urban area in spite of the pressures of increased population. Transpor- tation and affordable housing are her chief concerns. With Wash- ington expecting 90,000 new resi- dents every year for the foresee- able future, every city should have a mayor like Mrs. Ives. Oct. 15 - Now I'm settling in for a week of reading, walking, and generally enjoying the company of Alex and his, girlfriend. The houses in his North Portland neighborhood seem tiny and sit on very small lots. However, the street is quiet, the sidewalks are set back, and there are three won- derful parks within walking dis- tance. We plant bulbs for next spring’s display of color. Oct. 20 - I meet Doug Ayers and Linda Thoma. at the DoubleTree Hotel, headquarters for the annual National Land Trust Rally. This is a conference of 1400 people from all over the USA (and so many other countries that they've decided this will be the last “national” rally) who are dedi- cated to land preservation and responsible land use. The three of us have come to learn as much as possible over the next three days. We then hope that this knowledge will help our work as board mem- bers and employees of the North Branch Land Trust. Oct. 22 - By four o'clock, my brain is on overload. Speakers and workshop leaders have been inspiring. This morning we had a “sermon” by one of the most en- thusiastic ambassadors of open space that I have ever heard. His name is Charles Jordan. Jordan is head of urban parks in Portland and I wish he were running for President. He reminded all of us that ecologists know the value of connections and as such should be in the forefront of human di- versity issues. We need to excite everyone regarding the impor- tance of our work. One of the best quotes I wrote down from his speech is “the cornerstone of a pluralistic society is respect.” Oct. 24 - Yesterday I noticed as the fog lifted along I-5 that all the valleys seemed to be filled with air pollution. Paper mills and other industrial complexes are not add- ing to the beauty of the scenery. I- 5 itself is over-crowded. As I flew . sprawl. out of Seattle on a'clear morning, smog hung heavy over the city. In some ways we are lucky in Penn- sylvania. We don’t have to worry abqut rapid growth, but we cer- tainly do have to worry! about If I learned anything on thisy trip it ‘is that umplanned growth has great costs. New hous- _ ing results in from $30,000 to $84,000 for infrastructure costs (schools, roads, fire protection, sewage and stormwater treat- ment, etc.) per single family dwell- ing! It would take a very long time to recoup those costs in property taxes! It looks to me like we have a good opportunity to use the expertise that is out there (and there is a lot!) to manage develop- ment in a sustainable way, both economically and ecologically. Washington and Oregon are strug- gling even though they started radical new plans ten to thirty years ago. That’s because every- one seems to want to move there, including my son. But, here in PA, we seem to be building ever larger houses for ever smaller fam- ily units. This is something we can correct if we act now. Open space is too important to agricul- ture and tourism (our largest eco- nomic activities) and to our qual- ity of life for us to continue un- checked. An airplane ride is a great way to see the larger picture. York and Lancaster counties have been try- ing to manage their growth “in spite of” Pennsylvania’s archaic land use laws. It seems very difficult to get local governments to work together on anything, let lone long-term planning. But, that is our future. Benjamin Franklin had itrightin 1776 when he said, “We must all hang to- gether, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Alene N. Case is a member of the board of director of the North Branch Land Trust She lives in Trucksville. The Nallag Pogt TIMESeLEADER TY NEWSPAPER GROUP P.O. Box 366, Dallas PA 18612 570-675-5211 Julie Imel EDITOR Elizabeth Skrapits REPORTER Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Ken Brocious ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC Ronald and Charlotte Bartizek PUBLISHERS EMERITUS 1 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, Washing- ton, 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 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 Twp. ONLY 70 Years Ago - Dec. 19, 1930 LAKE TWP. STUDENTS WRITE FOR THE POST The home of Thomas Wisnewski at Demunds burned to the ground . Saturday night. The fire was dis- covered by Frank Ferris of Centermoreland, who was on his way home from Dallas. The house burned to the ground in 45 min- utes. It was unoccupied. Lake Township High School students wrote ‘columns for the Post. Yonna L. Raskin, editor-in- chief, defended the young women é® of the “flapper” era as equal to their grandmothers, but also as more confident and daring. Tobert Lewis, a freshman, wrote about the debilitating effect smoking cigarettes has on young athletes. C.A. Frantz, a Dallas merchant; W.R. Heeley of Lehman, who op- erated a general store; and Asa P. Shaver of Kingston Twp., were listed as jurors for the next month. 60 Years Ago - Dec. 20,1940 ® JIM THORPE SPENDS NIGHT WITH LOCAL FAMILY Jim Thorpe, the greatest ath- lete of his generation, paid an unexpected visit to the home of the Girvan family. Bob Girvan stopped to help a motorist whose car had broken down, only to find it was the famous Olympian. They “ \ were unable to get the car started, and Girvan invited Thorpe to spend the night at his home, where Mrs. John Girvan welcomed them. The next morning he shared his life story with the family over a hearty breakfast. Four Back Mountain boys were initiated into the Future Farmer degree: George Moore, Robert Patrick, Dymond Warmouth and Dale Warmouth. Frank Edwards shot a Cana-®) dian lynx Saturday, while out hunting deer. Lynx were rare in the region, and Edwards planned to display the mounted trophy at Charlie Gregory’s Men’s Shop. 50 Years Ago - Dec. 22, 1950 SGT. KEMMERER RECOVERING Marine Sgt. Robert Kemmerer was recovering from near death in Korea. After being wounded above the left ear and in both ankles, he was left for dead for three days after all the other men in his company were captured. Toward the end of the third day he was taken to a friendly Korean’s hut, then rescued the next day. : Mrs. Alice Uhl and her daugh- ter Becky were overcome by gas YESTERDAY & ¢ ow escaping from a stoker-fed fur-¢j { ) nace. J ohnny and Jimmy Uhl, sleeping in another room, were not affected. Mrs. Uhl and Becky received oxygen and were exam- ined by Dr. A.A. Mascali, and re- covered quickly. Dallas Township boys team edged Hughestown 38-37 behind Larry Sutton’s field goal and foul shot in the closing seconds. 40 Years Ago - Dec. 22, 1960 LAKE-LEHMAN TO BUILD $2 MILLION HIGH SCHOOL Lake-Lehman received ap- proval to build a new junior-se- nior high school on 43 acres of land in Lehman. The land has been owned by Willard Garey and Warren Mekeel. Robert Hanson has sold the ‘) Crown Imperial Bowling Lanes to % yi Tony Bonomo. The lanes in Dallas Twp. opened in October, 1956. A search continued in the Adirondack mountains for Pierre Maheaux, brother of Mrs. Robert Maxwell, Dallas. Maheaux was part of the crew of a bomber that crashed Dec. 9 near Schroon Lake. 30 Years Ago - Dec. 22, 1970 DALLAS MAN HELPS STRAIGHTEN OUT STATE Patrick A. Mulloy, Dallas was one of the authors of a massive modernization plan for the Penn- sylvania Department of State. Mulloy serves in the Office of En- vironmental Affairs. Dave Jones, Dallas graduate, led Bloomsburg State College to a 76-70 win over Kutztown, going 11-for-11 from the foul fine. 20 Years Ago - Dec. 24, 1980 ¥/2 RICCI CARRIES ON HOLIDAY TRADITION The Dallas Lions Club raised over $1,100 for sight conserva- tion programs by raffling off a wheelbarrow of cheer. Gary Cut- ter of Dallas was the lucky win- ner. Tracy Turner scored 28 points hi yA ¥ Pi but didn’t get much help as the WA Lake-Lehman girls basketball team fell to Pittston 57-38.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers