® : + ‘ * 4 Ly 6 The Dallas Post EDITORIAL Friday, September 12, 2003 OUR OPINION Festival celebrates a harvest of energy and ideas The first Dallas Harvest Festival, to be held Sunday, is much more important than its modest title would seem to indicate. Yes, it will be held in Dallas, and the calendar indicates it is the traditional time of year for the harvest, but there is more to it than that. First, this is not a Dallas-only event. Organizers, vendors and exhibitors are coming from throughout the Back Moun- tain to set up on Main Street in the borough. From 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., visitors will be able to view, sample and meet the range of businesses and organizations that make this region their home base. And whether they are on the third generation or have just taken a leap of faith into existence, all have in com- mon a commitment to and faith in the Back Mountain as a great place to live, work and contribute to society. As for the harvest theme, it will be amply represented by the numerous vendors of local crafts, produce and other food- stuffs. They exemplify a connection to the land that is the ba- sis of our very existence, and are a reminder that the Back Mountain is much more than a collection of housing develop- ments from which commuters stream down Route 309 each weekday. “Harvest” can have meaning in contexts outside agriculture, and this event is surely the culmination of a season in which creativity has bloomed in the hearts and minds of people who love the Back Mountain. The festival is one outgrowth of the community visioning project that has identified aspects of community life that are absent or underdeveloped. One of those was the dearth of broad community events outside of the library auction and those that act as fundraisers for specific clubs or institutions. ; Locating the harvest festival on Main Street in Dallas Bor- ough also points a spotlight on another area of opportunity, de- velopment of a “town center” for the Back Mountain. That is not meant to diminish the importance of other shopping areas or municipalities, but instead to act as a magnet that will at- tract visitors who will likely explore beyond that limited area. The addition of a beautiful roundabout at the now-congested intersection will only add to the appeal. So, come on out, browse the tents and stands, soak up the free entertainment and share the fruit of labor produced by the many selfless individuals and businesses that recognize how much potential exists in this community we call the Back Mountain. Wild Back Mountain If you've ever heard it, chances are you never forgot the first time the piercing wail of a bobcat woke you up in the middle of night. That scream, like the bark of coyotes as they chase down prey, is less and less common in places like this, but as a photo in this week’s Post proves, it has not disappeared. Ann Marie Stajewski captured a bobcat on film — a big one “according to a game warden who saw the photo — nosing around in her Overbrook Road back yard. Like the bears that have been sighted in recent months, this bobcat has adapted to its new human neighbors, and it is great to know that we can peacefully co-exist. Of course that doesn’t mean we should be foolish and treat the creatures that inhabit our woods and fields as if they are tame. These are not warm and fuzzy cartoon characters to be approached as if they are in a petting zoo — they are wild ani- mals that have learned to tolerate and mostly avoid us, and we should take a cue from them. Depending on the season and cir- cumstances, a wild critter may be in mating mode, protecting its young or focused on filling its belly, and curious people can get in the way. So, be careful out there, and if you have chil- dren, do your best to make them understand that we don’t own the land, we share it with all manner of living things, some of which must be treated with quiet respect — for our own good and theirs, too. Hanson's was hopping in the 1960s. LIBRARY NEWS Library joins in for first Dallas Harvest Festival Main Street, Dallas, is the site of The Dallas Harvest Festival, sponsored by the Dallas Visioning Committee this. Sunday, September 14, from 1 to 6 p.m. Featured are all sorts of “fair” good- ies: a Farmers Market, an apple pie baking contest, a “Kiss a Pig” contest (vote for the lucky winner by buying a ticket at the library desk), master garden- ers to consult, pony rides, clowns, food, food, and more food! This sounds like great fun, and the beginning of a Fall tradition. The library is involved in two ways: first, there will be a wrap-up auction on the li- brary grounds, from 1 to 6 p.m., with 150 antiques and over 40 new goods items go- ing over the block; and the Slightly Read Bookshop, just reopened after a summer hiatus, will be open during the Festival on Sunday. Bookshop Manager Fred Krohle an- nounces that the shop is having a clearance CAROL KING sale for the month of September, with sav- ings of 50 to 75 percent on most items. He also offers organizations special rates on paperbacks — call him at the library, 675- 1182. Volunteers are needed in the book- shop for Wednesday and Saturday after- noons. LN NJ Preregistration for the fall story hours, which begin the week of September 22, is going on now. There is still space for tod- dlers in the 6:30-7 p.m. group on Thursday evenings, and for the 3-5-year-olds on Tues- day evenings, 6:30-7:30 p.m.; Wednesday mornings, 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 10:45-11:45 a.m.; and Thursday mornings, 10-11 a.m. Group sizes are limited, so call now to reg- ister your child and avoid disappointment. The programs run through the first week of December, except that there will be no pro- grams during Thanksgiving week (Novem- ber 25-27). [NN J Library Director Martha Butler reported to the board on the doings of a busy sum- mer. She, Brian Fulton and Janet Bauman attended an all-day workshop on Web de- sign, sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the state library. The summer reading game, “Get in the Game,” attracted over 150 participants. The last of a series of American Red Cross workshops for babysitters was held; anoth- er series will be offered in the Spring. The “Donuts and Discussion” participants en- joyed their final pizza party after reading four books this summer. LN NX J The July total circulation figure of 10,875 was the highest circulation to date. In Au- gust 260 books were added to the library collection, 140 new borrowers signed on, and there was a total of 15,867 active bor- rowers. The library staff and volunteers are obviously doing a great deal to encourage reading among all age groups, especially with the expanded programs for yo : adults and children. We congratulate voll) (LN NJ The new display is of the Celine Dion collection of Janelle Marshallak. It is inter- esting to note, from the jackets of the CDs, at what a young age Celine started her singing career. 70 Years Ago - September 22, 1933 TABERNACLE TO BE DEDICATED The new Gospel Tabernacle at Noxen will be dedicated at Sunday services. Harry Rundell, pastor will deliver several mes- sages. ' Football teams from Dallas Borough, Dallas township and Kingston Township will play their first games of the season. A unique trian- gular contest will be staged by Dallas Bor- ough, Dallas Township ONLY YESTERDAY Letters, columns and editorials The Dallas Post publishes opinions on a variety of topics in many forms. Editorials, which are the opinion of the management of The Post, appear on the editorial page and are written by the edi- tor unless otherwise indicated. Any artwork represents the opinion of the cartoonist, and columns are the opinion of the author. 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 dur- ing 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 libel, slander or objectionable wording. In addition to letters, we welcome longer pieces that may run as columns. The author or subject's relevance to the Back Mountain will be the prime consideration when selecting ma- terial for publication. Tre DALLAS POST TIMESeLEADER ( unity Newspaper Group P.O. BOX 366, DALLA 18612 * 570-675-5211 dallaspost@leader.net Ronald Bartizek EDITOR/GENERAL MANAGER Justin Wisnosky ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. Darlene E. Sorber OFFICE MANAGER Erin Youngman REPORTER Claudia Blank AD PRODUCTION MANAGER and Luzerne. Some of the items you could get at A & - P Stores: butter, 2 Ibs, 49¢; sugar, 10Ibs., 49¢; sliced bacon 1/4 1b., 10¢; milk, 5 tall cans 27¢. 60 Years Ago - September 24, 1943 LOCAL WOMEN URGED TO MAKE DRESSINGS An emergency call has been made on women of the Dallas area urging them to turn out at the Red Cross rooms of Irem Temple Country Club and lend a hand in making thirty-two milllion surgical dress- ings to be shipped to foreign countries. Dallas Control Center must obtain finan- cial support from Lake, Lehman, Ross and Jackson Township supervisors or be forced to close. This was the decision reahed at a meeting of the members of the Control Center. Movies that played at the Shaver The- atre: Desperadoes” with Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Glenn Ford; “Boy From Stal- ingrad” with Conrad Binon; “Secrets of the Underground” with Virginia Grey. Only Yesterday is compiled from the back-issue files of The Dallas Post. 50 Years Ago - September 18, 1953 | EL WL WAR PRISONER RETURNS HOME FROM KOREA Sgt. John Vavrek, returning Korean War prisoner, landed at Avoca Airport was met by his mother and members of the immedi- ate family, and a delegation from Daddow Isaacs Post American legion. Crowds gath- ered at East Dallas Church for John’s for- mal welcome. Dallas Borough Council at a special meeting voted to accept the offer of Dallas Branch of Miners National Bank to lend the Borough $25,000 at three percent inter- est for the purchase of Olive Motors prop- erty on Main Street as a Borough Building. Margaret Belles, sister of Lake Noxen’s high school principal, Robert Belles, took third place in the Lions Club lady of the Lake contest. Harveys Lake Lions will real- ize approximately $3,500 from the annual event. 40) Years Ago - September 19, 1963 RESIDENTS FLOCK TO OBTAIN POLIO INOCULATIONS Applicants for the polio vaccine flocked to the Dallas Junior High school gymnasi- um. Children, nuns, high school boys and girls, housewives and more checked in at one table and received their sugar cube of the polio vaccine. The total amount of peo- ple in the Back Mountain who received their vaccine was 14,785. A dedication formerly launched the new Lake-Lehman high school at impressive ceremonies in the spacious gymnasium. The symbolic golden keys passed from Lester Squire, Supervising Principal, to Carl Hedden, representing his father Ray- mond Hedden contractor, who passed them to architect Donald D. Smith, who in turn passsed the keys to John Hewitt, pres- ident of Lehman Building authority. Five Back Mountain townships will be zoned by Luzerne County according to a plan, still in the “proposed” stage, drawn by the County Planning Commission if the local municipalities do not organize zoning ordinances of their own. “30 Years Ago - September 19, 1973 MISERICORDIA OPENS DOORS TO RECORD FRESHMAN CLASS College Misericordia opened its doors for the 50th year as students began t 1973-74 academic year. For the fall sem ter, the college welcomed 257 freshmen, the largest freshman class in the last five years, and 76 transfer students. Satellite genetic ocunseling clinics repre- senting a new and promising branch of pre- ventative medicine were opened at Com- munity Medical Center in Scranton and Kirby Health Center in Wilkes-Barre by the sponsoring organization, the Northeast mennsylvania Chapter of the March of Dimes. Residents of Ridge Street, Fernbrook have presented the Dallas Township Board of Supervisors with a petition objecting to the establishment of a State road mainte- nance center on demunds Road. The peti- tion was signed by 14 homeowners. 20 Years Ago - September 14, 1983 SCOUT TROOP 281 NOTES 50 YEARS Boy Scout Troop 281, sponsored by the Dallas United Methodist Church is cele- brating its 50th year and plans to announce a special anniversary celebration in the near future. Scoutmaster is Henry Steuben of Dallas. College Misericordia received a $24,25 State Department of Energy Grant to cover the laterst energy conservation project tak- ing place on the Dallas campus. The grant will cover the changing of the air condi- tioning unit at Mchale Dormitory from steam conversion to electricity at an esti- mated yearly savings of $9,307. : Some of the merchandise at Back Moun- tain Lumber and Coal: Sunbeam kerosine heater, $119; chimney brush, $7.93; piot- ting soil, 20-lb. bag, $1.47; adjustable wrench, $3. Jackson Township recycling on third Tuesdays Jackson Township is now collecting recy- clable materials. A recycling trailer with a divider separating two sections will be at the township municipal building the third Tuesday of each month, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each section will be clearly marked ei- ther co-mingled (co-mingled is plastic, glass and metallic bottles, jars and cans) or newspaper/cardboard. Recyclable must be place in the specified section. Residents are asked to bring their recycling materials in reusable containers to the Jackson Town- ship Municipal Building, 2211 Huntsville Rd. Please take the container home with you. No recyclable can be in a plastic bag; they are not recyclable For plastic bottles and jars, remove lids, rinse and flatten. For glass bottles and jars, remove lids and rinse. Do not break. For tin, aluminum and bi-metallic cans, rinse cans and flatten. For paper, place newspapers and card- board together. Call the township at 675- 8371 with questions. Q: Where do you find the most Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Dallas Post
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers