6 The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, February 20, 2003 EDITORIAL Dallas has classroom planning backwards Parents are wise to demand more participation as Dallas School District officials ponder “realignment” of the Dallas and Wycallis elementary schools. The fact that a task force has been looking into the issue since October was news to most people when it was addressed at the last meeting of the school board. The 25-person task force, composed of parents, teachers and others, has been examining both the space require- ments in the district and the possible expansion of kinder- garten to full-day from half-day. Those sound like noble and necessary topics, but wary outsiders may wonder why only a select few have been asked to express their opinions about the schools’ direction. It would seem far more inclusive to solicit comment from the widest possible spectrum of people before narrowing down the options that will affect thousands of children over the next few years. It doesn’t take a particularly sharp memory to recall the way the district handled the placement of Wycallis Elemen- tary before it was built. Several options were considered, in- cluding maintaining the old Westmoreland Elementary School before a 5-4 vote settled on a building at the main school campus. That vote was taken even though the topic was not listed on the meeting agenda in March of 1997, and it occurred at 10:30 p.m., when most of the audience had left. The current setup may be the most efficient from a man- agement standpoint, but many people remain convinced that retention of the Trucksville neighborhood school would have been a better choice. It's too late to revisit that question, but it's not too soon for the administration to open the current questions to a wider audience of concerned and affected par- ents. Major lapse, minor punishment After embarrassing Harveys Lake Borough over the past several weeks, Jeffrey Butler has stepped down from his po- sition as police chief. Given that five borough officers have now been identified as lacking state-required certification, one might think he would be asked to leave the force. In- stead, he’s simply been demoted, accepting a patrolman’s job at just $1,000 a year less than the chief position. This hardly seems sufficient punishment for jeopardizing police work in the borough for several years. Harveys Lake will likely have to refile charges resulting from some arrests made by the officers, which will at the least be an unplanned expense. But think what position the borough could have been in if one of them was involved in an incident that caused serious harm to life or property. The borough — and Butler — would have been liable for untold damages. Harveys Lake residents should expect that such a serious ‘breach of conduct would elicit more than this slap on the Publisher’s Notebook Snowy tree-o. West Cener Hill Road, Dallas. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. I oe = ES Let's get ‘serious’ about use of former watershed land Editor, About a week ago, Phil the Groundhog emerged and pre- dicted six more weeks of winter. About the same time, Theta Land Corporation emerged from its hole preceded by full-page color ads offering land for sale. For those who may have been hibernating with Phil, Theta is the corporate entity that holds the former PG Energy watershed lands, sold by our dear friends at Southern Union to a secret buyer(s). Since Theta wants serious in- quiries only, then let's be seri- ous. Even a casual glance at the map indicates that many of these parcels surround bodies of water — and for good reason. They were purchased and pro- tected ‘by our former water utili- ties to ensure that Lackawanna and Luzerne County residents would always have a plentiful and safe water supply. In many cases, the water bodies on this map are reservoirs that supply your water. What may not be ev- ident is that the land also con- tains natural drainage basins that empty into the many streams, part of an elaborate system of aquifers in Northeast Pennsylvania. So the serious should inquire, “Why would Theta want to do something so potentially harm- ful and detrimental to so many people?” Maybe Theta thinks this is just good business or maybe this is just pure greed on the part of the secret owners. With so much at stake, they should come forward and ex- plain themselves. We don’t need Colin Powell or a United Nations resolution for this one. Of the 40,000 acres originally held by Theta, approx- imately 28,000 acres are desig- nated as watershed. This acreage has been clearly defined. Any purchase or sale of land from this designated watershed area without the benefit of per- manent protection should be condemned. Given the vast range of this land, it is likely that a part of your back yard is now for sale. Recently it was announced that the Department of Conser- vation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and Suburban Water Company of Columbia and Northumberland counties . set aside 9,000 acres of woodland and watershed as “a proud lega- cy” for future generations:~We should now be inquiring why we are not doing the same. If North- eastern Pennsylvania ever hopes to attract the high-end, high tech companies that will secure our future and allow our chil- dren to remain in the area, then we must start with the basics. We must not sell off our heritage like some many spec lots in an- other tract development with cute name. The serious inquiries must be- gin now. Let's ask our county, state and federal officials to pre- vent this wholesale destruction of our heritage. There is far too much at stake. Remember, seri- ous inquiries only! Paul Niezgoda Jackson Township President, Defend Our Watershed! State Representative Steve Barrar has provided yet another reason why Pennsylvania should get out of the business of selling liquor. The distinguished gentleman, a Republican from Delaware County, has suggested that state stores stop selling French wine and liquors, because the French govern- ment hasn't shown an acceptable level of support for Presi- dent Bush's plan to invade Iraq and rid the world of Saddam Hussein. In his own tactful manner, which he must have learned at the feet of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Barrar rails against France's lack of gratitude for our saving it during World War II, and the subsequent 60 years of pro- tection afforded by America’s strength. It never seems to oc- cur to the good representative that perhaps people who have seen their cities, villages and homes evaporate in the cloud left by huge bombs might have a different perspective on war than we, who have been protected by hundreds of miles of ocean off each coast. Pennsylvania is the largest purchaser of wine and spirits in the nation, spending $625 million on booze in 2002, then re- selling it for $1.2 billion. That 92 percent markup surely leaves private liquor store owners in other states drooling as if they've had a few too many sips of Bordeaux, but it’s all in the name of protecting us from ourselves, as the virtuous government sees to it that 10-year-olds aren’t able to buy hooch from every immoral store proprietor. Still, in their infi- nite wisdom — as well as their desire to make a buck — state officials have decided to open certain stores on Sun- ~days to serve citizens who can’t seem to make it to the packy during the week. If Pennsylvanians are so upset by the French position on Iraq, I'm sure they are perfectly capable of carrying out their own boycott of products from that nation. It would seem Rep. Barrar and his colleagues have enough to do trying to guide the state through perilous economic and security con- ditions without wasting time on silly crusades that seem more likely to call attention to their Don Quixote-like lean- ings than to any meaningful result. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 18612 » 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek GENERAL MANAGER Kari L. Wachtel ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. Erin Youngman REPORTER Claudia Blank AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Darlene E. Sorber Terry Quinn OFFICE MANAGER PAGE DESIGN Girl Scout ‘Cookie Shops’ open through March 15 The Girl Scouts of Penn's Woods Council will open troop “Cookie Shops” now through March 15 in communities throughout the Council area. Net proceeds earned by Cookie Shops and the general Girl Scout Cookie sale remain within the Council area to support local Girl Scout activities like camping, outdoor education, science work- shops, travel, community service, sports clinics and more. All eight types of Girl Scout Cookies are available at Cookie Shops. Cookies are $ 3 per box. For more Cookie Shop informa- tion, log onto the Girl Scouts of Penn's Woods Council website at www.pennswoodsgirlscouts.org and click on “COOKIES,” or call the toll free Cookie Hotline at 1- 888-6KOOKIE. Cookie Shop locations in the Back Mountain: March 1, Back Mt Feed & Seed, Dallas. March 1, 8, 15: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. — CVS, Dallas. March 1, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m; March 23, 9 a.m.-? — Mountain Fresh Market, Pikes Creek. «© ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - February 24, 1933 NO SOLUTION FOR MYSTERY EXPLOSIONS Investigation throughout the area failed to uncover any expla- nation for the three deep con- cussions which startled Dallas and vicinity. Though the detona- tion was heard in Shavertown and Dallas, reports were re- ceived that resident in Wyoming valley had heard the mysterious noises. Some of the items you could get at the American Stores Co. were: macaroni or spaghetti pkg. 5¢; Maxwell House coffee 1 Ib. 33¢; dozen eggs 27¢; hot cross buns doz. 10¢; honey, jar 10¢., Movies that played at the Himmler Theatre: Call Her Sav- age with Clara Bow; Two Against The World with Constance Ben- nett; Wild Horse Mesa with Ran- dolph Scott; The Devil Is Driving with Edmund Lowe and Dickie Moore. : 60 Years Ago - February 19, 1943 STRIKE CLOSES ARMOUR LEATHER PLANT AT NOXEN Demanding restoration of a guaranteed 40-hour minimum work week recently curtailed because of a shortage of hides, 255 employees, members of the Fur & Leather Workers’ Union, went on strike at the Armour Leather Company Plant in Nox- en. Sgt. William Glen Knecht, has been appointed a Fight Officer in the Army Air Forces. He joins the armed forces’ newest air arm, glider transport, as a pilot. Dallas Borough parents whose children are absent from school for more than three days without a legal excuse and who have been notified in accor- dance with Section 1428 of the School Code of such absences will be arrested on the next day those pupils are absent. This action was approved hen ab- sences among the pupils were serously interfering with school program and undermining the morale of other students. 50 Years Ago - February 20, 1953 BEEF SALES ZOOM AS HOUSEWIVES FILL FREEZERS AT LOWERED PRICES Housewives of the Back Mountain area took full advan- tage of lowered beef prices with sales zooming to double their usual volume. It all started when steaks took a nose dive, from a record 99% and $1.09 a pound to 89¢. Edith Adams, Trucksville, opened in the new musical comedy, “Wonderful Town” at the Winter Garden Theatre on Boradway. She was also named Miss Television of 1951 and played for a year with Ernie Ko- vac on his television show. Bids which were to have been opened for the construction of a new six-room $200,000 Ele- mentary School at Sweet Valley were returned to contractors for rebidding on altered specifica- tions. 40 Years Ago - February 21, 1963 CAPACITY CROWD ATTENDS DINNER FOR FATHER KANE Among a large gathering of friends, parishioners, business and civic leaders, Rev. Francis A. Kane, rector of Gate of Heav- en R. C. Church, and Dean of Gate of Heaven School, received the Community service Awrd for 1963. Back Mountain police and firemen, along with a few bor- ough and township officials, watched collisions of cars doing twenty, thirty and forty miles an hour. The cars involved were all test cars, electroinically con- trolled and subject of a film en- titled “Broken Glass.” This was one of two films on safety. Howard Whitesell, President of Whitesell Brothers Building Supplies Inc., Dallas was elect- ed to the Board of Directors of Middle Atlantic Lumbermens Association, Philadelphia. 30 Years Ago - February 22, 1973 SCHALM BLAMES FLOOD FOR BRANDWYNE DELAYS Blaming “flood-related ex- penses we didn’t expect” for a host of delays at his Brandy- wyne housing complex in Dallas Township, Paul J. Schalm III told the Post that a much-tout- ed hook-up to the Dallls Area Municipal Authority's sewer lines is imminent. Mr. Schalm insists that rumor mills “have been working overtime to dis- credit him. A group of Luzerne County citizens who have been waiting to have connections made to Pennsylvania Gas & Water Co. gas lines met again in Dallas to formalize plans to initiate court action against the utility. The group represented about 50 households. Kingston Township Baord of Supervisors were disappointed by the lack of replies from Back Mountain municiplalities on a letter recommending that an overnight lock-up be lished in this area. 20 Years Ago - February 23, 1983 DALLAS SCHOOL BUILDINGS TOO EXPENSIVE Back Mountain Elementary Wrestling Club, had to move their tournaments to West Side Vo-Tech because the custodial fees were too expensive. Accor- ing to John Gabriel, supervisor of maintenance and grounds, the custodians received over- time wages for weekends and were paid $7.90 per hour for every hour they were on duty. Officials of Kingston Town- ship reminded area candidates for elected office that Kingston Township has a policical sign ordinance which prohibits the erection of signs before April 17. George Sieltz, Lake-Lehman junior, suceessfully completed auditions for the Region IV Mu- sic festival, Sieltz auditioned the tenor voice spot during J District IX festival. EL SS Qn @ 10 am.-2 pm. —
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers