The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, June 20, 2002 EDITORIAL Parties must get past pride for good of Lake-Lehman If the members of the Lake-Lehman school board care about maintaining the remarkable degree of cooperation that has existed between administrators, teachers, parents and students in the district, they must handle the current teacher contract dispute more forthrightly than they have thus far. Both sides had a first opportutily two weeks ago to accept or reject a state-appointed fact finder's recommendations, but only the teachers did so, repeating their acceptance last week. The school board apparently failed to vote on the re- port's recommendations the first time they had an opportu- nity to do so, choosing instead to ignore the deadline for ac- tion. That was a mistake, and it may have been compounded by the school board president's secret approach to the union offering settlement terms. The union’s lawyer leveled the charge that Charles Boytin offered that a decrease of .2 per- cent in the teachers’ wage demands would lead to an agree- ment. Boytin has denied that claim. Now the board has voted to reject the recommendations, which the union’s representative says will mean a more cost- ly settlement. That remains to be seen, as both sides’ posi- tions appear to be hardening. Both the board and the union may be operating more on pride than good sense at this point. If it's true that only .2 percent in wage rates separates them, as John Holland, the teachers’ attorney claimed last week, there’s no reason a compromise can’t be reached quickly that will preserve what is left of the spirit of cooperation at Lake-Lehman. That qual- ity is worth more than a few dollars either way. Truck traffic must be controlled People who live along Trojan Road in Lehman Township have come to the last two supervisors’ meetings pleading for relief from the constant heavy truck traffic to and from a round-the-clock quarry operation. So far all the only re- sponses they've received are expressions of sympathy and limp promises to “look into it.” That's not good enough. Citizens deserve action when they have legitimate concerns about activities that degrade their quality of life and the val- ue of their property. It's time for township officials to come up with answers and solutions to their complaints before the situation gets completely out of hand, if it hasn't already. Publisher’s Notebook Ron Bartizek Sometimes what you don’t see on television is as interest- ing as what is shown — or even more so. I was one of the lucky ones with tickets to last weekend's U.S. Open golf tournament on Long Island, and a couple of days spent wan- dering the sidelines led to these observations. - If you only watch the leaders, you miss much of the fun. Sure, it was neat to sing Happy Birthday to Phil Mickelson and to see Tiger stripe a 300+ yard drive on the 12th hole, the longest par 4 in Open history, but NBC viewers probably missed a grinning Shingo Katayama playfully jog up to mark his ball on the 15th green before it rolled another 20 feet from the hole, or Peter Lonard toss his ball to a grateful young girl leaning over the grandstand fence. - When it rains, the spectator areas become a sea of slip- pery mud, claiming the khakis of those too careless or reck- less to watch their step. Despite Sergio Garcia's whining complaints, the playing surfaces stay pristine by compari- son. - Umbrellas are the most popular souvenir when it rains. Golf fans, while considerably more boisterous than in Ben Hogan's heyday, are nearly all respectful of the game and the players. Yes, there was the occasional beered-up yell at an inappropriate time, and some fans got on Garcia for his incessant waggling and regripping before each shot, but by and large the folks on the sidelines are knowledgeable of the game, its traditions and its etiquette. - Getting up close and personal with the players reveals lit- tle-known details that just aren't evident on television. My bride, for example, never realized that Vijay Singh has capped teeth. Neither did I, and it never seemed to affect his putting. The tickets weren't cheap, the hotel and food added to the tab and transportation costs money. Spending Father's Day at the final round of the U.S. Open with your family. Priceless. Letters welcome 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 li- bel, slander or objectionable wording. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 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 #3 y : Letter, Scott Carter, my son's major league Back Mountain baseball coach, is the coach every boy should experience. My son was taken into the ma- jor leagues as a 10-year-old. He worried about being good enough, about being accepted by the older boys, about being giv- en the chance to play. Our wor- ries weren't realized. Scott Carter treated every boy with re- spect, regardless of age. He con- stantly encouraged team con- cept. He made his athletes feel confident; he believed in them and thus, they believed in them- selves. Now my son is a 12-year-old, with only a few games left in the season. He has matured into a knowledgeable, self-assured young baseball player. His coach has taught Michael fundamen- tals of the game, regard for every opponent and teammate, and a love of baseball that is heartfelt. Scott has achieved this through appropriate direction, quiet yet firm discipline, and an evident concern for each of his players. Scott has no son on the team; he has no agenda. What Scott has is a contagious enthusiasm for the sport that makes his players admire him and love the sport he coaches. Win or lose, good play or bad, successful at- bat or sufieout, Scott encour- ages the boys, acknowledging their strengths or improving upon their weaknesses. They are never admonished for a mistake. They are not afraid to take a chance. They are relaxed, and their great record proves the va- lidity of Scott's approach. Chuch Kopetchne, the assis- tant coach, mirrors the attribut- es of Scott. I have never seen ei- ther man scream or lose control at an athlete, opposing coach, or umpire. I know that they have not always agreed with calls or conditions, but they remain calm, allowing the team to stay focused, loose, and at their best. I wish all young baseball play- Motorcyclists show hearts on ride for SPCA Editor, On behalf of the S.P.C.A. of Luzerne County, I would like to thank The Wyoming Valley Mo- torcycle Club (W.V.M.C.) for sponsoring the 6th Annual Mo- torcycle Run to benefit homeless animals at our shelter in Plains Twp. On Sunday, June 2 over 400 bikers representing several local clubs participated in this year’s ride. The Christian Motorcycle Club offered a bike blessing pri- Carol King What happens at the auction? Those of you who have attended the library’s annual auction know what goes on there. Martha Butler, the library direc- tor, suggests listing, especially for newcomers, all the attrac- tions and services you'll find this year. First of all are the antiques and the new goods (donated by area businesses), which are sold over the auction block. There are the book tent and the Slightly Read Bookstore (inside the li- brary), the flea market (formerly called Odds and Ends), the plant booth, and the basket raffle tent. or to the start and a brief memo- rial for members of two clubs who had recently lost a husband and a father. Although the ride was cut short due to the flood- ing damage in Bear Creek every- one had a great time. The event culminated at the Wilkes-Barre Twp. Volunteer Fire Co. with re- freshments and live entertain- ment by Kartune. As a private non-profit organi- zation the SPCA of Luzerne County relies on the generosity Here’s the scoop on auction activities There are several craft vendors, and the Ochman Jewelry tent. Especially for children, there is the auction for all ages on Saturday, July 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. There is a tent for sand art and ‘face painting, and story time on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. inside the library. There are several raffles, one for the gigantic oven and one for the quilt, both currently on dis- play at the library. Winning tick- ets will be drawn on Sunday evening, July 7. The variety in foods is another strong attraction at the auction: funnel cakes, potato cakes, jam- balaya, Domino's pizza, roasted almonds, candy apples, Hillside ice cream — all of this in addi- tion to the Food Booth manned (and womaned) by Rotarians and other volunteer organiza- tions. To solve your parking prob- lem, there is the convenience of continuous shuttle bus service of the community at large and organizations such as The Wyoming Valley Motorcycle Club to help fund the work done for unwanted, neglected and abused animals. Our sincere thanks to all who sponsored the rides T-shirts and to Mark McK- eown of the W-B Truck Center for the use of his parking lot to stage all the bikes. The Wyoming Valley Motorcy- cle Club logo reads “Bikers With A Heart” and they certainly live between the CVS and Eastern Star parking lots and the library, every evening from 5 to 11 p.m. Added to all these features is the fun of meeting friends whom you may not have seen since last year’s auction. It is a great social occasion. Come to the Auction where the action will be starting on Thurs- day, July 4, and continuing through Sunday, July 7! Children’s summer reading game This summer's program is, as always, for all ages, from pre-school through 8th grade. This year it celebrates the arts. Its theme is “Spotlight on Read- ing — Be a Star at Your Li- brary.” On Tuesday, June 25 at 1 p.m. at the library, the arts of music and dance will be fea- tured and participants will be taught the Mexican Hat Dance. Come into the library and pick up your game board on which to record the eight books you will be reading this summer. Prizes ers had the good fortune to ex- perience this type of coaching. As our season ends, I am feeling dy sad that Michael will no longer play on the big field at Back Mountain. It has been a reward- ing three years. I am even more upset that he will no longer be under the tutelage of Mr. Carter and Mr. Kopetchne. I can never on my son. He will benefit org ! the rest of his life by using the lessons of sportsmanship, dedi- cation, and respect modeled | these men. ! Jean J. Lipski Lehman i A | 5 { | i | up to it. Nearly $6,000 was@) raised by this year’s ride. Com- memorative t-shirts are still available at the SPCA. Please support the WVMC’s next bene- fit ride which will be held on Sunday, July 14 for the children | at St. Joseph's. Registration is at noon from Two-Jacks Cycle, Wilkes-Barre. i | Director of Development SPCA of Luzerne County { 1 i will be awarded at the findl meeting. The second special prg- gram will be held on July 23. | Details will be announced later. Call the library at 675-1182 for further information. 1 Bookstore hours The Slightly Read Bookstore is now closed. It will re-open July 4 for the auc- tion. | 1 Internet classes There are still some openings for the li- brary classes on basic Internet usage. They are for the following Monday sessions: June 24, July 8, and July 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Call or come in to the li- brary to register. Display Lorna Davis has put on display her set of Yesteryear collectors plates. They will be there for three weeks, and then Lorna will donate them to the auction. Here's a chance to pre- @ view them before that time. Deadline Friday for KT rec program registration cepted 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through June 21, at the Administration Office. The 2002 Kingston Township Summer Recreation Program will be held through August 9. The program is open to resident children of Kingston Township who have completed kindergarten up to and including the com- pletion of sixth grade, but no children older than 12. Proof of residency, such as a tax bill or drivers license will be required at the time of registration. A $20 registration fee will be ccharged for the first child in a family, a $10 fee for each additional child. Children are responsible for their own admission fees for field trips, swimming and other activities. This Summer Program will be conducted each weekday, weather permitting, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Program participants will meet at the Center Street Park. Children should bring a bag lunch and drink each day. This program is sponsored by the Kingston Township Board of Supervisors. Registration will be ac- —— ° Edward Gross] M i ! 0" i { | [i
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