The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, June 13, 2002
EDITORIAL
Best vision comes from those
who know the community
The response to the first public meeting of the Dallas Com-
munity Visioning group was more than heartening, it was in-
spiring. Well over 100 people turned out to learn more about
the visioning process and to express their opinions on where
Dallas Borough - and the entire Back Mountain - should be
heading.
The suggestions were not surprising. People want their
hometowns to be pleasant places to live, work and shop, with
enough amenities to make life comfortable but not so many
that the Back Mountain becomes another faceless strip of
shopping plazas and parking lots. The fact that we've been
hurtling in that direction adds necessary urgency to the vi-
sioning effort if it is to have a chance to succeed.
Most important is continued public input and support. To
that end, another public meeting has already been planned, at
which target areas for attention will be identified and task
forces formed to address them. The result of that gathering
will be even more important than the giant first step that was
taken May 29, and we look forward to reporting its success.
Graduates: Try to better your elders
Every parent dreams of and dreads high school commence-
ment day. Whether the graduate is going to Harvard or the
school of hard knocks, this ceremony creates a line of demar-
cation between years of dependency and a future filled with
opportunity and obstacles, most of them self-created. Gradua-
tion also presents editorial writers with the chance to wax po-
etic and offer high-minded advice that probably doesn’t match
their own experience, but sounds better than the unspoken
truth. With that in mind, here are our words of wisdom for the
class of 2002:
* Try to make fewer mistakes than we did, and learn from
them. We know you're going to mess up sometimes; just don't
hurt yourself or someone else unnecessarily in the process.
e Listen to your instincts. If we “grown-ups” have done: our
jobs with any skill at all, you know right from wrong and
smart from stupid. Like a coach who can’t shut up while his
players are on the field, parents sometimes need to just let the
kids play, secure in the knowledge they've been taught the
rules.
* Don't drink and drive, and don’t ride with someone who
has had too much to drink. This applies on graduation night,
and every moment after, for the rest of your life.
* No one else can make you happy — not even Mom and
Dad. (You probably already know that.) It's a do-it-yourself
job, although the right person or persons can make it a whole
lot easier, and it will amaze you how sharing with others can
change your opinion of pleasure.
Study hard, stay in school, don't do drugs? You've heard
enough about that stuff, and it's all true, but it may not sink
in until you have firsthand experience. We wish it was less
painful — for you and your loved ones — but we have confi-
dence you'll come through just fine.
Publisher’s Notebook
Ron Bartizek
If you're trying to find me on a Sunday morning, the best
place to look is in the aisles of a local grocery store. I'll be there
along with several other men who limit as much as possible
their exposure to rows of tuna fish cans and potato chips.
You'll recognize us as supermarket naifs by the vacant look
on our faces as we stumble from aisle to aisle in search of
peanut butter, brownie mix or whatever else is on our list -
provided, of course, we remembered to bring the list along. We
mean well; I volunteered for Sunday morning breakfast duty in
our household years ago, and the cooking part goes just fine.
It’s getting the ingredients in the hour or so between the time I
wake up and when the kids wander down that’s the tough
part. My wife, by contrast, displays great pride in being able to
swoop down on BiLo and complete her mission in less than an
hour. Since her average take is about five times mine, I'm at a
loss to explain how she does it.
This experience has led me to ponder taking the invention
route in an effort to become filthy rich. Supermarkets clearly
need a communications system that will guide rookie shoppers
on their journey. The big departments aren't an issue; I know
where the produce, dairy and deli departments are, since they
usually have two-foot tall signs demarcating their shelf space.
After that, though, it's a struggle. Why, for example, are cookie
mixes 37 aisles away from cookies? Or coffee about a half mile
from cream? The store nearest my house has lists posted at
completely random locations, but they are just a tease. Try
finding Betty Crocker Double Fudge Nut Brownie Mix on them,
or Ocean Spray Cranberry/Raspberry Drink Mix. Fat chance.
Given the state of computer technology, I envision a hand-
held device with a million item product list, so amateurs like
me can punch in the most detailed item description and be giv-
en exact directions to our quarry. An added feature would be
bar code recognition, setting off a beeper when we pass by the
family pack chicken legs we've been searching 10 minutes for.
The only thing that could go wrong then is to forget the list.
Maybe it can beep too.
The Dallas Post
TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group
P.O. BOX 366, DALLAWPA 18612 » 570-675-5211
Ronald Bartizek
GENERAL MANAGER
William J. Dunn Jr.
ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC.
Timothy J. Raub
REPORTER
Ruth Proietto
AD PRODUCTION MANAGER
Darlene Sorber
Terry Quinn
OFFICE MANAGER
PAGE DESIGN
Where the wild things are. Along R Reservoi Road in Dallas. Photo by Ron Barrick
From the bullpen
Timothy J. Raub |
When I was a senior at Dallas
High School, I went through a
period during which I just did
not want to further my educa-
tion.
I was tired of the academics,
and tired of the class work, and
thought it would be easy to just
graduate from high school and
find a job somewhere making a
lot of money.
But there were a few individu-
ONLY
YESTERDAY
70 Years Ago - June 10, 1932
DALLAS POST COMPLETES
SCHOOL YEARBOOK
The Dallas Post completed
printing and publishing of the
Kingston high school yearbook,
The Kingstonian. All printing on
the 500 volumes was done at
the Post plant.
J.F. Besecker, local Ford deal-
er, demonstrated to members of
Dallas township school board
one of the new model Ford
school busses.
Second commencement of
Dallas township high school was
held in Himmler theatre, Dallas,
with H.C. Fetterolf, assistant di-
rector of vocational agriculture,
as principal speaker.
60 Years Ago -June 12, 1942
RESIDENTS TO REGISTER
FOR SUGAR IN DALLAS
Special registration for the
canning sugar allotment will be
held in Dallas. Local registration
will take place in the Himmler
Building and will be open to res-
idents of Dallas and Kingston.
One adult in each family is to
apply and ration books must be
Two great teachers who taught life lessons
als outside of my parents who
thought my ideas were just too
idealistic.
Dallas High School teachers
Gary Mathers and Wayne Hugh-
es, who taught Woodshop and
Ecology respectively, helped me
to see the reality of life in this
day and age without a college
education.
They pushed me to enroll in
colleges and look for a major
that suited me best.
Mr. Mathers and Mr. Hughes
saved me from walking the
tightrope of the so-called “real
world” without a safety net, and
were key in putting me where I
am today.
Last week the Dallas" School “
Board announced Mr. Mathers’
retirement after 22 years with
the school district, one year af-
brought to the registration cen-
fer.
Confronted with a government
ruling which may entirely dis-
rupt the street repair program
for Dalals, borough Councilmen
determined at a regular monthly
meeeting, to seek toe of aid of
State Highway officials in gain-
ing the releas of a large supply
of oil for road surfacing.
Private Clarence E. LeBar,
physical education teacher and
athletic coach of Dallas Borough
High School, set off for the
Army.The entire Dalals band es-
corted Private laBar down
Hutnsville road to Main street,
where he departed from Local
Board No. 1 at Wyoming.
50 Years Ago - June 20, 1952
MAJOR PLACES THIRD AT
STATE POULTRY JUDGING
A Jackson Township boy
placed third in the Poultry Judg-
ing contest conducted as part of
the anual State Furure Farmers
of America convention hald at
Pennsylvania State College. Dar-
rel Major, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Homer Major of Trucksville will
participate in the national FFA
Convention at Kansas City.
East Dallas teen-agers won
their second straight game in
the Bi-County Junior league de-
feating Carverton at Carverton.
This puts East Dallas in a three-
way tie with Westmoreland and
turrell Motors of Tunkhannock
for top position.
Herbert Dreher, Dallas, has
been promoted to sergeant in
the U.S. Air Force. Herb is a for-
mer employee of the Dallas Post.
ter the same was announced for
Mr. Hughes.
Both men made learning fun,
and on a regular basis gave their
time to help with extracurricular
activities at the high school.
I just hope that the school
board can find replacements for
these two men that are even half
as good as they were. Future
students of the school district
need to get the same opportuni-
ties I was lucky enough to get,
and I can’t imagine walking into
each of their classrooms and not
seeing them behind the desk, or
at the shop table talking to stu-
dents.
These men befriended the stu-
dents, and did not just teach
from a book. They taught from
the heart, and could get anyone
interested in what they had to
40 Years Ago - June 14, 1962
FIRST CLASS GRADUATES
FROM NEW DALLAS HIGH |
SCHOOL
It was the first class to gradu-
ate from the new Dallas Senior
High Schoool. W. Frank Trimble,
high school principal, who pre-
sented the seniors to Charles
Mannear, president of the
school board, for their diplomas
estimated a crowd of 1400. 141
seniors graduated.
With a few minor adjustments
within the budget, not affecting
the total, Dallas school directors
voted to adopt ther 1962-1963
budget.
Flood-lights were installed at
Dallas School parking lot autho-
rized by Dallas School Authori-
ties. The price of of the six flood-
lights was $5,970.
30 Years Ago - June 22, 1972
FIVE DALLAS SCHOOLS RE-
QUIRE INSTALLATION OF
SEWER LINES
Five schools of Dallas School
District will require installation
of sewer lines in order to be con-
nected to the new sewer system
of Dalals Area Municipal Au-
thority. The schools are Dallas
Intermediate, Dallas, Shaver-
town, Westmoreland and
Trucksville Elementary Schools.
Kingston Township Board of
Supervisors expressed its inten-
tion at a meeting to meet with
officials of other municipalities,
and until such meetings, they
will defer voting on a petition
say.
I am proud to say that I was a
student in both of their classes,
and the lessons they taught me
outside of the classroom have
aided me in just about every
step of my life.
My life would have never been
the same without those twa
men, and although I've never re
ally had the chance to tell them
in person, now I would like to
say thank you to both of them.
It is because of the two of you
in particular that I can sit be-
hind this computer today, and
write the best possible tribute to
two amazing individuals. ;
The two of you will be missed;
and I hope you realize the im-
pact you've had on so many. lives
— especially mine. SIRs
Thank you sincerely. 4
So FAA
which protests the formation of
a water authority in the Backs
Mountain Area.l
Employees of Dallas Area Mud
nicipal . Authority arrived at the
treatment plant site only to dis=
cover vandalism had been done
to the control building and a
seeded embankment of the back
of the site. Chire Operator Tom
Bagley reported that 12 panes of
glasson the rear section of the
control building had been bro
ken by rocks, and hay, which
had covered the newly- sow]
bank had been burned. i
20 Years Ago - June 9, 1982 :
LAKE RESIDENTS ASKED TO :
CUT WEEDS, GRASS
Harveys Lake residents are
being asked to cooperate with
local ordinances pertaining to
appearance and safety in the
community, or suffer the conse:
quences. A Brush, Grass and
weed Ordinance, recently
passed by Council requires
property owners to remove, tring
or cut all grass, weeds or other
vegetation at least twice a
munth during May, June, July,
August and September. i
The Dallas Township Zoning
Hearing Board is expected to
render a decision on a Shaver-
town contractor's plan to build
condominiums in the very near
future. Boaters at Harveys Lake
will be unable to purchase fuel
directly from the water's edge
this summer as the last pump
hasgone out of service. With in-
flation and the high cost of gaso-
line the number of pumps dwin-
dled.
New books on shelves at Back Mountain Memorial Library
The Back Mountain
Memorial Library, 96
Elin Hilderbrand
“Dreaming Water”
dar
by “A
Simple
Helen Thomas
Habana BIOGRAPHY
R.A. Salavatore
YOUNG ADULT
Huntsvile Road, Dallas,
announces the addition of
the following books to
their collection.
FICTION
“Mortal Prey” by John
Sandford
“Running scared” by
Elizabeth Lowell
“Dying to Please”
Linda Howard ;
“Nantucket Nights” by
by
Gail Tsukiyama
“Walk through dark-
ness” by David Anthony
Durham
“Critical Condition” by
Peter Clement
“Halfway Home” by
Mary Sheldon
“Life of Pi” by Yann
Martel
“The House of Blue
Mangoes” by David Davi-
Melody” by Oscar Hijue-
los
“Stay” by Nicola Griffith
“The Stone Carvers” by
Jane Urquhart
“Man Walks into a
Room” by Nicole Krauss
“Cape Refuge” by Terri
Blackstock
NON-FICTION
“Thanks for the Memo-
ries, Mr. President” by
Listening to Whales” by
Alexander Morton
SCIENCE FICTION
“The Gates of Sleep” by
Mercedes Lackey
“Whole Wide World” by
Paul J. McAuley
“Chasm City” by Alas-
tair Reynolds
BOOKS ON CD
“Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the Clones” by
A
“Walt Whitman: a biog-
raphy” by Milton Meltzer
“The Handbook of the
Middle East” by Michael
G. Kort
“This Land Was Made
for You and Me: the life &
songs of Woody Guthrie”
by Elizabeth Partridge
“The Death Penalty:
justice or legalized mur-
der” by Ted Gottfried.
p_ arn _,_n.
*
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