8 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA October 25, 2001 EDITORIALS You can be a part of Back Mountain’s history “Those who ignore history,” the saying goes, “are doomed to repeat it.” While ignoring local history isn’t likely to cause worldwide catastrophe, the stories and lessons left by our predecessors can enrich lives forever, and that's as good a reason as any to embrace the new Back Mountain Historical Association. Association members met for the first time last week, and immediately formed an energetic nucleus of people who are committed to recording for posterity the voices of our ances- tors. The project can’t start too soon, because every day this region, and every other one throughout the nation, loses a link with its past. Students at College Misericordia will offer their assistance by recording oral histories of local residents, under the direction of Dr. Allan Austin, a history professor. The local group is an outgrowth of the Luzerne County His- torical Society. Don’t be afraid to get involved if you, like Dr. Austin, are a newcomer to the Back Mountain; sometimes a a fresh set of eyes and ears will uncover interesting people and items that others might take for granted. If you'd like to par- ticipate, call the association via College Misericordia at 674- 4333. ‘Old Shoe’ game is worth saving This year’s “Old Shoe” football game between the Dallas and Lake-Lehman squads is the 54th between rival Back Mountain teams. It's easy to argue that too much emphasis is placed on high school sports, but the appeal of this event is unmistakable, and not just as a a football game. The stands at Edward Edwards Stadium on the Lake-Lehman campus will be filled with graduates of both schools, their families and other fans who will share a crisp (we hope) fall afternoon with a ritual that offers a few hours of respite from the troubling thoughts that have dominated our lives in re- cent weeks. : It's a shame to think this tradition could become a histori- cal footnote, sacrificed to the gods of state championship fever by a rigid scholastic athletic bureaucracy. That's what could happen if the present arrangement of teams continues and Lake-Lehman, which has barely the number of students to compete in the same division as Dallas, should drop to the next-lower level. According to the present formula, the two teams could not play one another and still have an opportu- nity to compete for statewide glory. Given the quality of play demonstrated by both teams this season, it's clear that arbitrary size guidelines mean less than heart, grit and good coaching. All those qualities will be on display Saturday at Lehman, and if it were up to us would continue on one fall afternoon for years to come, state play- offs be damned Publisher’s Notebook Remember the Greatest Generation? That was the one whose men went off to win World War II, saving civilization from a second Dark Age at the hands of Hitler and Hirohito, while the womenfolk took up wrenches to manufacture tanks and thermoses, using their income to buy war bonds. And the kids; why, even they played a part, scouring empty lots for tin cans that could be turned into tanks and ther- moses, or scraps of rubber to be recycled into Jeep tires. This group of Americans has been celebrated to the satura- tion point in books and movies produced by their children — even grandchildren — who suddenly developed a deep appreciation for their virtues, not least of which was a will- . ingness to sacrifice comfort, convenience and even life for a larger cause. Now it's our turn, but instead of asking us to scrimp and save, turn lights off and thermostats down, buy bonds and pass the ammunition, the President is egging us on to a spending spree. But running up and down Rt. 309 whip- ping out a charge card doesn’t feel like a special effort to support the troops and postal inspectors, just a normal weekend in Consumerland. Perhaps it’s just the martyr in me, but I don’t think Amer- icans would mind being asked to give up a trip to the mall once a month or an occasional night out, even if the powers that be think conserving cash will drive the economy into a tailspin. Instead of urging us to resume our “normal” spendthrift ways, the President could give us suggestions that wouldn't deny the thrill of free spending while allowing for at least a twinge of sacrifice. How about this: we could pay mom (or dad) for making and serving dinner at home, then donate the check to the Red Cross. Or, browbeat Johnny or Jane into mowing the lawn, then buy one of the soon-to-be-issued special bonds to support the war on ter- ror. Anything other than another bill at the end of the month would be welcome. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 18612 » 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek Heather B. GENERAL MANAGER er B. Jones REPORTER Ruth Proietto PRODUCTION MANAGER Brenda McDonough ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. Darlene Sorber OFFICE MANAGER Ron and Charlotte Bartizek PUBLISHERS EMERITUS Stephen Peterson PRESIDENT & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 1-800-427-8649 : Classic architecture at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Photo by Jim Phillips. ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - October 23, 1931 COUNCIL RETAINS POLICE OFFICER At a meeting Dallas borough Council voted to retain the ser- vices of Officer Elwood Elston at a salary of $100 a month until the first of the year and also paid bills to the amount of $1,602. At your local A & P store, some of the items you get: 4 cans soup, 29¢; 1 qt. jar pickles, 25¢; 20 oz. loaf bread, 7¢; 8 O'- Clock coffee, 1 1lb., 17¢; Gold Medal cake flour, 1 pkg, 29¢; Wheaties, 2 pkgs, 25¢; Sunbrite cleanser, 2 cans, 9¢. Officers of the Grand Lodge, F. A. M. will be the guests at the Irem Temple Country Club prior to observance of the 200th an- niversary . of Free Masonry in Pennsylvania at Central M.E. Church, Wilkes-Barre. 60 Years Ago- October 24, 1941 LOUISE ROUSHEY APPOINTED GIRL SCOUT DIRECTOR Louise Roushey, Shavertown, has been appointed director of girl scout activities in the Bloomsburg area. Miss Roushey graduated from the Bloomsburg State Teachers’ College with a B.S. degree. She is now captain of Shavertown Girl Scout troop No. 66. Tommy Dropshinski, former Lehman resident known to prize fight fans as Tommy Dew, met an unexpected setback in his fight with Frank Jones of Roselle Park in Newark. Jones stopped Dew after 49 seconds of the third round. Dew was floored four times in the second round being flat on his back as the bell ended the session. Mrs. Dorothy Moore of the Dallas postoffice staff has been + appointed secretary of the civil service board in Dallas. Mrs. Moore will give out information on civil service examinations, and she is also empowered to notarize all papers used in con- nection with applications for civ- il service examinations. 50 Years Ago - October 26, 1 951 DAVID JENKINS BUYS EIGHTY ACRE TRACT FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT One of the largest real estate transactions in some months oc- curred through the offices of James F. Besecker, real estate, with the purchase by David Jenkins of eighty acres of ground known as Grand View Estates between Center Hill Road and Memorial HighWay from Col. Thomas Atherton and others. Mr. Jenkins plans to erect a new home next spring, but the rest of the lands will be .converted into a real estate de- velopment. One of the largest neon signs in the Back Mountain area was erected at Flannigan’s Furniture Store by Silenski Sign Company of Pringle. The eighteen foot sign is two and a half feet wide. John Yaple, Health Officer for Dallas Township reports the fifth case of Polio in the season for the Back Mountain. John Yaple’s own child was stricken with polio when he was four years old, and made a complete recovery. 40 Years Ago - October 26. 1961 FIRE DELAYS DALLAS POST A flash fire during welding op- erations seriously damaged one of The Dallas Post's Intertype machines and made it appear for a time that the newspaper would not be on schedule. Willard Peck of the Pittston Gazette, came to the assistance and set most of the type in his plant in Pittston. The fire started when an acetylene torch was used to repair a broken machine part, came in contact with one of the plastic keys on the ma- chine keyboard. Dallas Senior High School took the last official step to ac- ceptance of the building at Dedi- cation ceremonies performed in the new auditorium. The band played under the direction of Lester Lewis. Dr. Robert A. Mell- man presided. Some gifts in- cluded $500 from the class of 1961; a television set from A & P; Dallas Township PTA, $100. John F. Corbett Jr., son of Mrs. John Corbett, Harveys Lake, has enlisted in the Air Force. He is taking eight weeks of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. He is a 1961 gradu- ate of Lake-Lehman High School. 30 Years Ago - October 28, 1971 100 FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BARN BLAZE A general alarm fire on Bunker Hill, Kingston Township, brought some 100 volunteer firefighters to the scent as a large barn was totally destroyed ‘by the flames. The blaze could be seen for some distance. The barn was owned by Bernard Novicki, Bunker Hill farmer. There were no cattle in the structure/ A chief operator for the Dallas area sewer system was named at a meeting of Dallas Area Munici- pal Authority.- Thomas Bagley, will be in charge of the local sewer system and treatment plant when it goes in operation -in the spring. Mr. Bagley is from Washington, N.J. John Richard Whitlock, son of Mr. ‘and Mrs. Joseph Funke, Dallas, will report to San Diego, Calif. where he will continue service in the Marine Corps as a Private First Class. 20 Years Ago - October 14,1981 BACK MOUNTAIN BLOOD COUNCIL FORMED The Back Mountain Blood Council consists of representa- tives of various Back Mountain churches., companies, and orga- nizations who agree to support the Red Cross, provide facilities, and encourage donations of blood during periods of need. School Bus Safety Week was held by the Dallas School Dis- trict. The primary purpose of safety was to show students how to evacuate a bus quickly and safely after an accident or dur- ing any other emergency. The bus drills were a great success. Dallas Area School celebrated ; World Food Day by participating in a district worldwide contest. Contestants were asked to write a paragraph of “What Hunger Means To You”. The purpose was to raise awareness of hunger and all other food relat- ed concerns in our country and all over the world. Q. Where do you find the most Back Mountain news and photos? | A. Only in The Dallas Post Check your closets - Amnesty Week IS coming The Back Mountain Memorial Library announces that from November 12 to 18 you may re- turn any overdue books or oth- er library materials without paying a fine. Check your clos- ets and clear your conscience, all in one fell swoop! ‘Journalizing’ Your Stories: On Saturday, Nov. 3, from 1 to 3 p.m., the library will sponsor a program showing how to or- ganize and document your pho- tos — historical, hobbies (gar- dening, home baby pictures, special events, etc.). There is a registration fee of $10 for mate- rials, payable at the library at the time of registration. The class size is limited. Bring with you on November 3 the photos you want to journalize (a new verb for you to ponder). Deadline for engraved bricks: November 1 has been set as the deadline for ordering a commemorative brick to be placed at the entrance to the li- brary. Please call the library, 675-1182, for information. Children's program: A re- minder that there will be a spe- cial program in celebration of Children's Book Week, Novem- ber 12-18, on Thursday, No- vember 15, at 6:30 p.m. A "Reading is Fun Magic Show" will be presented by Mark Piaz- za. Stop by the library and pick up a brochure. Fall Citrus Sale: Business- people, please note: This year's selection of citrus fruit has been expanded to include some items that would be particular- ly appealing to businesses or- dering holiday gifts for their employees. The traditional choices of oranges, grapefruit, or half and half, will also be of- fered. Orders will be taken in November and the pickup dates will be December 7 and 8. Full details will be available soon. New display: Cindy Katyl, a library staff member, has put on display some very attractive baskets made by the . Longaberger - Company, which : is located in Dresden, OH. They are noted mostly for their handmade baskets, but also have a line of pottery and wrought iron. All products are American-made. Cindy has been collecting Longaberger items since 1987, when a friend first introduced her to them. New books The Back Mountain Memorial Library, 96 Huntsville Road, Dallas, announces the addition of the following books to their collection. FICTION “Death in Paradise” by Robert B. Parker “The Corrections” by Jonathan Franzen “Super-cannes” by J.G. Bal- lard “Long Time No See” by Susan Isaacs “Tom Clancy's Op-Center: line of control” by Tom Clancy “The Great Game” by Michael Kurland “The Captain's Wife” by Dou- glas Kelley “Captain’s Outrageous” by Joe R. Landsdale “Jewelry Talks” Klein SCIENCE FICTION “The Voyage of the Jerle Shan- nara” by Terry Brooks REFERENCE “Maloney’s Antiques and Col- lectibles Resource Directory” 6th Edition “Collins German Dictionary” “Countries and Their Cul- tures” “Magill’'s Medical Guide” NONFICTION “The Blue Wild” by Stephen E. Ambrose. by Richard 4 1 ] on of i. ( 1 i /] I £ : ® © ( £ thf 1 g I @® | 5 | I C ] P ’] ee @ € | : I | I dé » 0 o A a t t F t | XK fi » A J | S n | I n lo fc is t oe & C C je fc te | le | ® ee ©
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers