Dallas, PA Thursday, April 24, 2003 6 The Dallas Post EDITORIAL Why the rush to reinstate demoted HL chief? The show of support for Harveys Lake Police Chief Jeffrey Butler appears to be a clear signal that the people he serves respect Butler's ability and dedication. That is an admirable circumstance, but is it enough reason to reinstate him, and in the process overlook several years of administrative lapses that have already led to the reversal of two convictions, including that of a repeat drunk driver? After it was revealed that several borough officers lacked proper credentials — putting arrests they made in jeopardy — Butler was demoted and his salary reduced by a token $1,000. That seemed insufficient punishment to some observers, and the rush to return him to the top job seems premature as well. At the very least, Butler's lapses will cost the borough money as it works to refile and prosecute the charges, and at worst they will allow guilty persons to go unpunished. That doesn’t seem like the standard the leader of a law enforcement agency should be held to. The present staff of the Harveys Lake Police Department may indeed be a huge step forward from that of a few years ago, but that is not reason to lower expectations to the point of ig- noring errors that hold the potential to cause serious harm to the public. The time may come when Butler has redeemed himself sufficiently to again be trusted with the Chiefs job, but the current rush to forgiveness seems too quick and too soon. Cemeteries hold our history; we should take care of them In and around large cities, cemeteries are frequently uproot- ed to make room for development or highways. Here, it some- times seems, they are just neglected. That is the case for the old cemetery next to the Community Bible Church in Sweet Valley, where selfless volunteers have done what they could to maintain the graves and grounds. But time is catching up with them, and so is fiscal reality. They are receiving little in the way of support from family members of people buried there, with the result that nothing more than basic maintenance is being performed. Old church cemeteries are key sources of information for people who want to learn about a region’s history. Gravestones can tell the story of families who settled there, when they came, how long they stayed and even how much they pros- pered. It would be a shame to lose these records. Perhaps a combination of private and public effort can be marshalled to assure that ancestors’ surroundings are maintained in dignity and connections to the past are not lost to weeds and weather. Publisher’s Notebook Ron Bartizek » There has been a lot of puzzling in recent years over the lack of protest against war on college campuses. Aside from a generally more conservative mindset among students who value a big paycheck and fancy car more than peace and love, I think the absence of a draft has made it convenient to view armed conflict in the abstract. “There is nothing that fo- cuses the mind so well as an imminent hanging,” goes the saying, and being drafted during wartime is about the clos- est most of will get to that feeling of dread. For me, it came when I was 20 years old and had not returned to school. Ob- viously my instincts for self-preservation weren't fully devel- oped or I would have found a way to overcome boredom with academics, since college, parenthood and a quick trip to Canada were the primary means of avoiding an excursion to Vietnam. The truth was, the invitation to take a bus to New Haven for a pre-induction physical wasn’t entirely unwelcome. Mili- tary life would at least provide some much-needed discipline, and I would be following in the footsteps of a father who had served with distinction in World War II. Alas, my mixed emo- tions were stilled when a doctor dismissed me after question- ing revealed a condition that made me unsuitable for service. I still think an opportunity was missed that day, for. me and my country. Perhaps I wasn’t the most able-bodied po- tential soldier, but I could have performed a useful function and in the course of it saved the government some money. It's understandable that everyone in the military must be fit to go to the front lines if absolutely necessary, but there are plenty of other places people like me could have been put to work. That's why the concept of a draft that includes nation- al service for everyone has some attractions. It’s awfully easy for young Americans to take for granted the considerable benefits of living in our nation, and to never come to grips with what it means to be a cog in the big wheel that keeps us going. Rep. Charles Rangel, himself a decorated veteran, pro- posed reinstating the draft as a means of forcing the armed services to better reflect the populace, and he was roundly criticized for the effort. But he’s on the right track — too many young people who choose the military as a refuge from poverty are risking their lives to protect others who are freed from service. Aside from the obvious questions of fairness in this situation, the fortunate majority are left to stray farther from the essential elements that make America the pre-emi- nent power in today’s world, and that is not a healthy situa- tion in the long run. The Dallas Post TIMESeLEADER unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALL A 18612 570-675-5211 Ronald Bartizek Erin Y EDITOR/GENERAL MANAGER Boungman REPORTER Kari L. Wachtel Claudia Blank ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Darlene E. Sorber Terry Quinn OFFICE MANAGER PAGE DESIGN Still a little chilly to use these. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. New books added at Back Mountain Memorial Library The Back Mountain Memorial Library, 96 Huntsville Road, Dallas, announces the addition of the following books to their collection: FICTION Lost Light by Michael Connelly A Ship Made of Paper by Scott Spencer The Happiness Code by Amy Herrick Family History by Dani Shapiro Crabwalk by Gunter Grass Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ann B. Ross Birthright by Nora Roberts Dead Aim by Iris Johansen Cold Pursuit by T. Jefferson Parker Bay of Souls by Robert Stone Twelve Times Blessedby Jacquelyn Mitchard Frozen Rodeo by Catherine Clark Under the Skin by James Car- los Blake The Price by Joan Johnston The Afterword by Mike Bryan Gilgamesh by Joan London Children of the Storm by Eliz- abeth Peters Mrs. Kimbleby Jennifer Haigh On This Dayby Nathaniel Bel- lows The Hours by Michael Cun- ningham NON-FICTION 1421:the year China discov- ered America by Gavin Menzies Better Homes and Gardens Scrapbooking Your Pregnancy for the Fa- ther-to-be by Glade B. Curtis, M.D. Fodors Pocket London 2003 Echoes of Love, from Heavens Above by Mickey Nivelli Jarhead; a Marines chronicle of the Gulf war by Anthony Swofford Sync: the emerging science of spontaneous order by Steven H. Stroga= tz Secret Empire by Philip Taub- man BIOGRAPHY Dreamer of Dune by Brian Herbert REFERENCE Current Biography 2002 BOOKS ON CD Reversible Errors by Scott Turow Dreamcatcher by Stephen King Finders Keepersby Mark Bow- den Dating Gameby Danielle Steel Back Story by Robert B. Park- er Ties That Bind by Phillip Mar- golin Atkins for Life by Robert C. . Atkins, M.D. Small Wonder Kingsolver by Barbara MYSTERY Chickahominy Fever by Ann McMillan Murder Off Mike by Joyce Krieg REFERENCE Standard and Poors Register of Corporations, Directors, & Executives 2003 mon Stocks Fall 2002 & Wintl 2002-03 : Weiss RatingsGuide to Broker- age FirmsWinter 2002-03 Short Story Index 2001-2002 The World Book Yearbook 2003 Statistical Abstract United States: 2002 Encyclopedia Britannica 2003 Book of the Year McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Seci- ence and Technology 2003 Weiss Ratings Guide to oN of the LARGE PRINT NON-FICTION Bush at Warby Bob Woodward AUDIOTAPES er Ann B. Ross Back Story by Robert B. Par 2 Miss Julia Hits the Road by 3 ONLY YESTERDAY 70 Years Ago - April 28, 1933 NO DIPHTHERIA CLINICS LOCALLY THIS YEAR No toxin-antitoxin clinics will be conducted in the back mountain region this year, ac- cording to a statement issued by Dr. G.K. Swartz, who is in charge of the diphtheria preven- tion cmapaign. Swartz did state that toxoid will be administered to all children in their own homes by their own physician, if diphtheria prevention is wanted. Delinquent taxpayers of Luzerne County who can pay taxes and reuse to do so will have their property sold at a tax sale, stated the county commis- sioner at a recent meeting. Eight boys from Kingston Township High School, accom- panied by James Martin and wilson Cease, faculty members, visited “Uncle Peter” Martin, Evans’ Falls storekeeper who, though blind for fifty years, cheerfully and efficiently carries on his business. He can find his way about the store without help, fills orders and makes change. 60 Years Ago - April 23,1943 BUTTER MAKERS FAIL TO TAKE RATION STAMPS In a statement issued, mem- bers of Dallas War Price and Rationing Board said farmers who slaughter meat and many housewives who churn butter are not complying with OPA regulations and ' accepting ra- tion stamps when they sell these products. : Through the efforts of Harold E. Flack, Representative in the Legislature from the Sixth Dis- trict, and attempt is being made to have the State Highway De- partment take over the mainte- nance of Church Street, be- tween the intersection of the new Harveys Lake Highway in Dallas Borough and the inter- section with the Tunkhannock Highway in Dallas Township. Volunteer workers, members of Dallas Women’s Club, who are handling the War Bond Dri- ve at their booth in Dallas Postoffice had topped their quo- ta by $1,750 and expect to dou- ble that amount before the close of the drive. 50 Years Ago - April 24, 1953 SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE SALE OF LOCAL BANK First National Bank of Dallas became the Dallas Branch of Miners National Bank of Wilkes-Barre. By unanimous vote, shareholders representing eighty-five percent of the ous- tanding stock of First National Bank voted to approve the merger. After borrowing $4,000 on a short term loan from first Na- tional Bank, Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Company was able to pay $15,907 in full to the American La France Company for its new fire truck. Young hoodlums are making life miserable for residents of the upper end of Church Street. The boys, ranging in age from eight to twelve have uprooted expensive shrubs and flowers, destruction of walls, stuffing rusty tin cans into mailboxes, and damage to cars parked be- fore the houses. 40) Years Ago - April 25, 1963 NINETEEN FIRE CALLS, SOME SET Nineteen calls were registered on the fire chiefs report at a meeting of Dr. Henry M. Laing Fire Company. One call was an assist at Kunkle, where Kunkle, Harveys Lake, and Dallas fire- men brought a lightning fire under control. During a thunderstorm, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Turpin, Shavertown, was struck by a bolt of lightning which split the chimney in half, shat- tering plaster in the bathroom and starting a blaze on the stairs. BothHouse and Senate Public Works Committees have ap- proved prospectus for the new post office at Dallas, and a re- quest for $69,500 for site loca- tion and design and specifica- tions has also been approved. The construction costs estimat- ed at some $170,000 will be in- cluded in the 1964 fiscal year budget. 30 Years Ago -April 26, 1973 DALLAS BOROUGH COUNCIL PASSES ORDINANCE ON OUTDOOR BURNING After an extended discussion, Dallas Borough Council passed an outdoor burning ordinance, with the help of a tie-breaking vote by Mayor Steve Hartman. The ordinance. will require all non-permit, non-ocuncil autho- rized burning to be done in a container, covered with a one- half inch mesh screen. Members of the Sweet Valley Volunteer Fire Company are busy preparing for the annual festivities. Many floats and marching units have already entered the parade. Some of the features of the three-day event are the Back Mountain Enduro Riders Motorcycle Club, a pony show, Sky Divers. Four West Side families were recipients of checks totalling $1,000 from combined efforts of the Suburban Bucks Jaycee Wives and the Centurion Chap- ter Jaycees of the Sate Correc- tional Institution at Dallas. These were presented to help those families who were victims of Hurricane Agnes. 20 Years Ago - April 27, 198 DALLAS BAPTIST CHURCH OPENS IN TEMPORARY HOME The new Dallas Baptist Church opened its doors for services at the temporary loca- tion at Mill street, adjacent to the Agway Store. Dr.Robert Myrant, was called to be pas- tor. Kingston Twp. officials were faced with controversy over a proposed landfill on Bunker Hill road. With John Brdaric apply- ing for a permit to use his prop- erty there as a dump site, many township residents and officials were upset. : Some of the items at Back Mountain Lumber&Coal were: lawn weed killer, $4.77 quart, curved claw hammer, $6.96; grass shears, $7.77. (Q: Where do you find the most Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Dallas Post a SS=3 aia J SSS SS SE Sei = SETS ER. A Ss I Ls I . a Ls t I 1 t PN eh AN ped seh ee THN B f t I
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers