6 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, January 9, 2003 EDITORIAL Healthy local business community Is an asset The Christmas shopping season just completed was a dis- appointing one for most national retailers, who reported sales that were barely above — and often below — the prior year. That really shouldn't surprise anyone, given three con- secutive years of stock market losses, rising unemployment and concerns about terrorism at home and war on foreign soil. Fortunately, local stores fared better, and that is a good sign not just for business people, but for the community as a whole. A huge influx of national chains to this area in recent years has brought consumers more choices and probably lower prices on some goods, but it has also put pressure on local merchants that lack huge marketing budgets and the ability to fund expansion with profits from established stores. Instead, they must rely on personal service and com- munity involvement to retain and attract customers. And it's working for most of them; shoppers not content with whatev- er a big chain wants to push on them find someone eager to please behind local counters, and store owners respond in part by supporting school and youth activities, clubs and volunteer organizations. That is not to say .large companies don’t do the same, but it would be unreasonable to expect them to feel a great attachment to every one of the hundreds of places they do business, particularly when things aren't going well. We can be pleased that the Back Mountain supports so many independent local businesses. Together, they are one of the vital components that help the region to maintain a unique identity and spirit. Prudent steps for local government It’s often asked rhetorically why government can’t be run more like a business. Jackson Township supervisors have taken that question to heart and adopted resolutions to bet- ter control the township's operations and budget. Two of the three resolutions deal with employee /employer relations, for- malizing evaluations and complaints about poor perfor- mance. The third sets up an expenditure ledger for each de- partment with an eye toward making actual spending con- form to the budget. It may seem these measures conflict with the small town informality that infuses our municipali- ties, but that wouldn't be a correct impression. There’s no reason why small towns — just like small businesses — shouldn’t strive to conduct their affairs prudently and effi- ciently, which is the goal of these actions. The fundamental purpose of any government organization is to serve the people who support it with their tax dollars and loyalty. To that end, Jackson Township also is develop- ing a code of ethics for supervisors that would set as expec- tations that elected officials would treat citizens with respect and serve their interests. It may seem unnecessary — even insulting — to have such a formal code of conduct, btit there are enough examples of officials who ignore the public ood as they pursue personal privilege or political gain to make such a statement more than welcome. Publisher’s Notebook Ron Bartizek ‘Random thoughts at the close of one year and the start of another: » After three years of stock market declines, shouldn't we adjust the name of retirement accounts from 401(k) to 201(k)? * We must be doing something right, since there haven't been any terrorist attacks in the U.S. since 9/11. e If global warming brings more golf weather in the North- east, is that a bad thing? * We had two palindromic years within little more than a decade — 1991 and 2002. It will be 110 years before there's another one, in 2112. e What good does a little revenue sharing do for baseball as long as the Yankees make so much money they can hire players just so no one else can get them? e Cadillac and Led Zeppelin, made for each other? I don’t think so. * So, we're going to invade Iraq because if Saddam Hussein were to attack us first, the economy would be severely dam- aged. Two problems with that argument: Saddam doesn’t have the capability to strike the U.S. and the present admin- istration doesn’t seem to need any help wrecking the econo- my. , Q: Where do you find the most Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Dallas Post The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 18612 * 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek Erin Youngman GENERAL MANAGER REPORTER Kari L. Wachtel Claudia Blank ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Darlene E. Sorber Terry Quinn OFFICE MANAGER PAGE DESIGN Big icicles from little raindrops grow. Photo by Ron Bartizek. Library adds new, memorial books to collection The Back Mountain Memorial Library, 96 Huntsville Road, Dallas, announces the addition of the following books to their collection:- FICTION “By the Light of the Moon” by Dean R. Koontz “Final Witness” Tolkien “The Guards” by Ken Bruen “Fat Ollie's Book” by Ed McBain by Simon NON-FICTION “The Sea Hunters II” by Clive Cussler “American: beyond our grand- est notions” by Chris Matthews ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - January 13, 1933 C.A. FRANTZ ELECTED DALLAS BANK PRESIDENT At the annual meeting os stockholders of First National Bank, Dallas, C.A. Frantz was elected president to fill the va- cancy caused by| the death of George R. Wright who had served the position for more than twenty-six years. Announcement was made at a meeting of Dallas borough school board of the resignation od Donals S. Wormley, director of physical education and in- structor of mathematics. He will assume his new duties as coach of baseball and basketball and instructor of mathmatice in the High School at Mattituck, Long Island, N.Y. George H. Bronson, well known Sweet Valley merchant, was appointed postmaster at Sweet Valley. : 60 Years Ago - January 8, 1943 SERIOUS FEED SHORTAGE MAY CUT FARMERS’ WAR PRO- DUCTION RECORD Feed dealers throughout the Back Mountain region and “Gardening with Conifers” by Adrian Bloom “Got Verse: Valley Poetry An- thology” edited by Melanie Maslow Lumia SCIENCE FICTION “A Gift of Dragons” by Anne McCaffrey REFERENCE “China” edited by Dimitri Cav- alli p “Consumer Reports Buying Guide 2003” LARGE PRINT FIC- TION “Diamond Dust” Lovesey “Tourmaline” by Joanna Scott “The Last Girls” by Lee Smith by Peter Luzerne County and northeast- ern Pennsylvania, are faced with - the most severe shortage of di- ary, poultry and other general purpose feeds in their history. Cause of the shortage is attrib- uted to transportation difficul- ties both into and out of the big mixig plants in Buffalo and other grain terminals. Stella Cummuings, Dallas, has been awarded a portable radio by the sponsors of the QUIZ KIDS radio program, for a ques- tion used on the program. Fred M. Kiefer, Chairman of the Dallas War Price and Ra- tioning Board, warned that after January 31, it will be illegal for motorists to operate automobiles not appproved for continuous operation. In the four weeks since the tire inspection plan went into effect, only a small percentage of passenger automo- biles have been inspected. 50 Years Ago - January 9, 1953 COUNCIL TAKES ACTION TO- WARD GETTING NEW BOR- OUGH BUILDING First steps toward a new Bor- ough Building were taken at the meeting of Dallas Borough Council with appointment of a committee to survey possible lo- cations and obtain architect's preliminary sketches and prices for construction. Dr. Sherman R. Schooley Day is scheduled for February 2 at Dallas Borough school, accord- ing to an announcemen made by Wyoming Valley Blood Donation center. Grateful patients hwo have been ministered to by kdr. Schooley or who have safely giv- en birth to children under his care, will have an opportunity to “Street Boys” by Lorenzo Car- caterra AUDIOTAPES “December 6” by Martin Cruz Smith “Lonely on the Mountain” by Louis L'Amour “I, Richard” by Elizabeth’ George SPECIAL DONATIONS “Valley Forge: making and re- making a national symbol” by Lorett Treese, donated by Daddow-Isaacs Post 672 Ameri- can Legion MEMORIAL BOOKS Back Mountain Memorial Li- express their affection for the physician. Mrs. Ruth Turn, organist and choir leader at Dallas Methodist Church, was elected second vice-president of North East Re- gion Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs, in charge of music for hospitals, especially veter- ans, of the region. 40) Years Ago - Jamuary 10, 1963 DALLAS MAN, PEARL HAR- BOR VETERAN, WINS 20-YEAR SERVICE PIN IN TEXAS A Dallas man who was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese struck, has received his twenty- year service award for work with the federal government. John Garbutt Jr., Dallas, received his pin at Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas. Lehman Township Supervisors will break gorund for the new municipal building. Five acres, including a pine grove and a creek, have been procured from Joe Parks on the Huntsville Road adjacent to Lehman Golf Course. Some of the clothing on sale at The Globe in Luzerne were: boots, values to 6:99, $2; miss- es’ skirts and slacks $1.48 ea.; boys’ pants $1.28; men’s sweaters (to $9.95) $2.88 and $3.88; men’s sport shirts $2.48. 30 Years Ago - January 11, 1973 6 COMPANIES ANSWER FIRE CALL AT PARK At least 70 men from six Back Mountain fire companies worked throughout the cold night bat- tling flames inside the rambling brary announces the addition of new memorial books. In Memory of Deborah Evans, “Beethoven: the music and the life” by Lewis Lockwood, pre- sented by Maggie Van Kuyk In Memory of William C. But- ler, Jr., “Wagons West” by Frank’ McLynn, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nicholson In Memory of John Loy Allen, “Political Writings /Thomas Paine” edited by Bruce Kukl presented by Carol and Fr Snyder In Memory of Thomas Ney-* hard, “The Zoom Trilogy” by Tim Wynne-Jones, presented by Richard and Maryann Selders structure of Hanson’;s Amuse- ment Park. Answering the police call was patrolman James Fae- ber. Damage to the building was extensive. Edward Richards was re-elect- ed permanent chairman of the KingstonTownship board of Su- pervisors at its reorganization meeting. Richard A. Bombick of Dallas was one of 72 State Police cadets to graduate in commencement exercises at the State Police Adademy in Hershey. 20 Years Ago - January 12, 1983 PRISON CITIZENS GROUP WANTS ACTION The State wi tion of Dallas Citizens Commit- tee made several specific re- quests following a meeting with officials of the prison. The com- mittee is headed by Pat Rusilos- ki. The group is asking SCID of- ficials to review siren routes, in- stalling a central warning sys- tem and implementing a fulltime day police officer. This request follows the recent escape of pris- oner William DelBuno. Christopher Alexander, was named the Cooperative Educa- tion director for College Miseri-, cordia. Alexander was formerly an Admissions Counselor at the college. The new bulding on the Lake! Highway has just been readied! for occupancy and two of its! three rental units are already filled, with inquiries concerning the third. Gus Walter's building, | adjacent to the Towel Outlet, has been leased by Jan Verbinski, owner of Back Mountain TV Ap-_ pliance and Satellite. A ES Er Lr ae TT ade Hil. Gane TR pub peegd Fr. Fro
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers