6 Dallas Post Dallas, PA Wednesday, June 13, 2001 i EDITORIALS All aboard to make rec center a reality The proposed Back Mountain Sports and Recreation Complex cleared a major hurdle last week when officials of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Re- sources announced a $500,000 grant that will provide the lion’s share of money needed to buy 130 acres of land in Lehman Township. The grant came through the state agency as part of Gov. Tom Ridge’s Growing Greener pro- gram, but no one should discount the part played by State Senator Charles D. Lemmond Jr. and State Representative George Hasay in securing the funds, which are highly cov- eted by regions throughout Pennsylvania. There is still much more to be done before the complex becomes a reality. Volunteer officials of the Back Mountain Recreation Association (BMRA) are confident they'll come up with the balance of the purchase price before summer ends, and then the real work will begin. The finished park will contain a variety of athletic facilities, along with picnic areas and hiking trails, all of which will come at a cost. But a glimpse into the Back Mountain’s crystal ball reveals that this complex must be built if local children and adults are to enjoy the use of sufficient facilities. Until this point, there has been resistance to the new center from some youth sports organizations. That hesita- tion may have been due to insecurity in the prospects for success; this step gives the plan real legitimacy and should be seen as a signal to all interested parties to join the effort and help create the most useful facility possible, as quickly as possible. Publisher’s Notebook pa Unable to ignore the publicity, and begged by an 11- year-old son in need of a make-believe explosive fix, we took in the movie Pearl Harbor last weekend, so I thought I'd take the liberty of telling you all about it. Don’t worry; I won't reveal the ending and spoil it if you decide to go, too. In a nutshell, Pearl Harbor is (was) about the love trian- gle between two U.S. Army flyboys and a fetching nurse named Evelyn. The male characters, as they always are in films like this, are Tennessee farmboys with a passion for flying that is almost as great as their passion for fetching nurses named Evelyn. One of them gets the girl, then vol- unteers for a dangerous mission, during which he is re- ported killed in action, but of course he’s not and after the other guy, who is his best friend, falls in love with the fetching nurse the first guy turns up alive - egads!! - and is, of course, not inclined to be best buddies with the other guy any longer. But more important things than their jeal- ously over the fetching nurse turn up, like the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, during which, of course, they are the only two pilots to get off the ground and pro- ceed to shoot down a flock of Zeroes, their reward for which is to accompany Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle on a dar- ing daylight raid on Tokyo that is meant to get the atten- tion of the Japanese warlords even if it means the death of dozens of American pilots, which, of course it doesn’t since this film was made in Hollywood, not Osaka. In the end, of course - oops! I said I wouldn't tell. Well, let me give you the goods on the secondary plot. More than 2,000 American service men and women are killed, several large ships are sunk, hundreds of aircraft destroyed, and the U.S. enters World War II, which is a minor subplot to the main theme of two guys and a fetching nurse entan- gled in the most predictable circumstances any screen- writer could imagine, even as he ignores what most people would think is the main theme. I've heard that the studio is now working on a romantic depiction of the Tet offensive, in which Jane Fonda falls in love with two Green Berets, but one of them turns out to be a fetching nurse played by Julia Roberts, who, of course, looks great in fatigues and boots with an M-15 slung over her shoulder. As long as there are lots of explo- sions, I'm sure it will be a hit. Q. Where do you find the most Back Mountain news and photos each week? A. Only in The Dallas Post Bass swallows mailbox! PHOTO BY JACK HILSHER Not! Three years ago, Richard Luckasavage spotted this monster in a mail order catalog and sent for it on the spot. Luckasavage, co-owner of Hops & Barleys in Luzerne, mounted it in front of his Harveys Lake home and has chuckled at it ever since. Library's website up and run- ning Librarian Martha Butler re- ports that the library now has an official website. The address is backmountainlibrary.org. Take a look! You will need the bar-code number on your library card to access the various topics on the site, such as a full-text periodical search and Big Chalk, a children's online source. On May 31 Martha attended an all-day workshop titled "Di- versity in the Workplace" at the University of Scranton. It was sponsored by the NE Chapter of the Pennsylvania Library Associ- ation. There will be a county-wide Surf over to backmountainlibrary.org Trustee Seminar for board mem- bers this Friday, June 15, at the East Mountain Inn. Dan Cain, consultant to boards of non- profit organizations, will be the workshop presenter. The cost is $18 to cover lunch. Luzerne County libraries are working closely with the Penn- sylvania Department of Educa- tion Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education to encourage family participation in summer programs. State funding is avail- able for this effort. Statistics for May: total cir- culation, 6,168; books added, 226; new borrowers, 48; and ac- tive borrowers, 13,736. Children's library In May Mrs. Rudolph and Mrs. Bauman attended four planning meetings at the Osterhout for the Summer Reading Game, "Animal Odyssey...make tracks to the li- brary". Registration and a kick- off program will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, at the Saxton Pavilion, Northamp- ton Street in Edwardsville. At 10:30 a.m. an interactive play, "Pocahontas", will be presented by Kits Kaboodle. Registration will continue at the library for the remainder of the week. The program runs until Friday, Au- gust 10. Special programs will be announced at a later date. Auction update Raffle tickets - $1 each or 6 for $5 - are being sold at the library for the follow- ing antiques: lst prize, cherry one-drawer stand; 2nd, an elec- trified kerosene lamp with deco- rated shade; 3rd, a blue satin glass rose bowl. The drawing will take place at the auction on Sunday evening, July 8. Don't forget to get your raffle tickets for the lovely quilt which is now displayed in the library. They are priced at $1 each. The drawing for this item will also take place on July 8. Another way to show your support of the auction, and therefore of the li- brary, is to purchase a paper bell for a dollar at the front desk and hang it with others already on display. On a broader theme ... auction proceeds are the mainstay of the library budget, so all of us should give our support in any way we can - donating new and used goods, volunteering to work at a booth during the auc- tion, bidding and buying at the auction sessions and at the many booths. (Monetary gifts are welcome, too; see the coupon in this week's Dallas Post.) To top it off, the auction is one of the most delightful Back Mountain happenings throughout the whole year, with great food and fun of seeing friends, whom? the rigé! ‘have calendars now for the tourna ment to be held on Septembe 17 at the Irem Temple Country = Club in Dallas. The Par 4 Cafe’ will provide food in the picni pavilion. More details will b given later. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 18612 » 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek GENERAL MANAGER Heather B. Jones REPORTER Ruth Proietto Production Manager Ron and Charlotte Bartizek PUBLISHERS EMERITUS Stephen Peterson PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 1-800-427-8649 ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - June 12, 1931 BROTHERHOOD TO HOLD CLAMBAKE The Brotherhood of St. Paul's Lutheran Church will conduct their annual clam bake at Fern- brook Park. Harold Lloyed is chairman of the affair. Tickets are priced at fifty cents, which will entitle the holder to a plate of twenty-five clams. Fifty-six graduates of Miseri- cordia College received degrees from Rt. Rev. Thomas C. O’Reil- ly, Bishop of the Scranton Catholic Diocese, at the fifth an- nual commencement exercises held in St. Nicholas’ High School, Wilkes-Barre. Dr. J. J. McMahon acted as marshall of the academic procession. At the local A & P stores you could purchase Pilsbury Flour, 24 1/2 1b. bag ¢83; butter, 2 Ibs., 55¢; apple butter, 28 oz. jar, 17¢; 8 O'Clock Coffee, Ib., 17¢; Old Dutch Cleanser, 2 cans, 15¢; Palmolive Soap, 3 cakes, 19¢. 60 Years Ago - June 13, 1941 DALLAS BAND ON FLAG DAY PROGRAM Dallas High School Band will be among ten West Side bands taking part in the Flag Day ob- servance being sponsored by Wyoming Valley Citizens’ Com- mittee at Kingston High School Athletic Field. The band will parade from Kingston Corners to the Stadium. Ronald C. Doll, supervising principal of Dallas Township Schools, has resigned to accept a permanent position in the his- tory department at Cranford High School, Cranford, N. J., where he taught recently while on leave of absence from his du- ties in Dallas Township. Six local boys will represent this region when more than 1.000 Future Farmers of Ameri- ca, representing local chapters throughout the State, gather at Pennsylvania State College to test their skill at judging cattle, poultry and farm produce. Three of the boys are from Lehman High school and three from Dallas Township High School. 50 Years Ago - June 15, 1951 AIR FORCE CALLS DR. R.E. CROMPTON Dr. Richard E. Crompton, Trucksville, member of the Re- serve, with the rank of First Lieutenant, has been called into active service by the Air Force. He will close his office to leave for McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. He established of- fices on the main highway, Trucksville for two and half years. One of the big features of the 1951 Library Auction will be a greatly expanded plant and pro- duce booth under the chair- manship of Mrs. Ralph Davis. Last year the booth sold several crates of strawberries, squash, watermelons, raspberries, cher- ries, plumbs, apples, gooseber- ries and bananas. The first modern up-to-date motel in northeastern Pennsyl- vania will be erected within the next few months on the triangu- lar 51/2-acre piece of land op- posite Dallas Township High School. Ground for the struc- ture was broken by excavating contractors for donald Hughes, Luzerne, who is associated with others in this project. 40 Years Ago - June 15, 1961 RIBBON CUTTING FOR NEW A &P STORE A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the opening of A&P’s newest and most modern Super Market, located at 125 Memorial Highway, Dallas. Par- cel pick-up facilities are avail- able. Customers check pur- chases with the attendant, then drive their cars to the pick-up station where purchases will be placed in their cars. Two young men from Shaver- town enlisted in the Air Force: Robert H. Shotwell, Hillcrest Ave., and James L. Inman Jr. Summit St. Both boys are Westmoreland graduates. The young men were flown to Lack- land Air Force Base, San Anto- nio, Texas for basic training. On behalf of the Depart- ment, William R. B. Froehlich, Chief Deputy Secretary of High- ways accepted a check for $1,650 from the Pennsylvania Federation of Women’s Clubs for the purchase of roadside ta- bles along State roads. The presentation was made by Mrs. Isaac Lehmer, second vice-pres- ident of the Federation. 30 Years Ago - June 17, 1971 DALLAS AND LAKE-LEHMAN GRADU- ATE 346 SENIORS The 1971 Dallas graduating class of 229 was the first in the history of Dallas Senior High School. The graduation exercis- es took place at an outdoor site- the senior high school athletic field. The presentation of the class was given by Robert L. Dolbear, principal. One hun- dred and seventeen students were graduated from Lake- Lehman High School at com- mencement exercises at Irem Temple Country Club. Dr. Cleo Dawson was the speaker. The superintendent-elect of Dallas School District, Dr. Lin-| ford Werkheiser, officially at-! tended his first meeting of the A school board and made a num- ber of recommendations to the board. He is replacing Dr. Robert A. Mellman, who will re-* tire soon. Moon Lake Park was officially opened recently and according to Director Robert Neff, an- nounced that all facilities were in use, with the exception of the swimming pool. Formal dedica- tion ceremonies will be held lat- er in the summer. 20 Years Ago - June 3, 1981 ALLEN NAMED POST EDITOR John L. Allen, Sweet Valley, has been appointed editor of The Dallas Post, according to J. Stephen Buckley, publisher. Allen served as manager of the The Post prior to founding the Triboro Banner, a weekly news- paper in Old Forge, in 1970. From 1965 to 1969 he was a re- porter and managing editor at the The Abington Journal, Clarks Summit. Dr. Mahmoud Fahmy, profes- sor at Wilkes College, was main speaker at the Dallas American Legion's 46 Annual memorial Day Parade and Services. The program opened with a line of march from the Legion Post Home, and continued down memorial Highway to the Dallas Honor Roll where Post Com- mander Edward J. Lyons deliv- ered brief opening remarks. Mike Lowery has been ap- pointed head football coach at Lake-Lehman to replace Tom Hisiro, who has accepted a coaching position in the Pitts- burgh area. Lowery, served as assistant coach under Hisiro. Before coming to Lehman, Low- ery was head football coach at Bishop Hoban High School. e 3
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers