6 The Post EDITORIAL Sunday, October 26, 2003 OUR OPINION Townships must support master plan to direct our future The pace of development around the Back Mountain is gain- ing steam at a remarkable clip, and it’s clear that local govern- ment needs to pick up its pace in order to meet the challenges posed by surging housing and retail growth. Articles published in recent months have detailed more than 300 new housing units either under construction or on the drawing table at locations around the region, as well as a po- tential “big box” retail store in Dallas Township. Now there are indications that a commercial plaza will be built in Dallas Bor- ough near the intersection of Routes 309 and 415. There are many positive aspects to growth, but there are drawbacks as well, not least of which are the effect on estab- lished neighborhoods and the traffic that will be added to an already overburdened road system. For example, 24-hour con- venience stores, which are becoming more common, create noise and lighting that are unwelcome in nearby homes that have stood for decades. That’s not to mention the lines of vehi- cles in one town that could result from a high-traffic commer- cial plaza in another, where the increased tax revenue looks mighty enticing and the consequences fall on someone else’s shoulders. The new Back Mountain Council of Governments (COG) can provide a logical framework within which this spurt of popularity can be directed, but it had better act quickly or there will be nothing left to protect. These circumstances » make it imperative that the Kingston Township Supervisors al- ¢ lot funding for a regional master plan in next year’s budget. Township officials took a pass when asked to support the plan earlier this year, citing uncertainty about the township’s fiscal condition. Fortunately, the other members of the COG have pressed on, anticipating that Kingston Township will ultimate- ly join them. Budget meetings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, and the supervisors shouldn't hesitate to put in a line for this project. , It would be helpful if every municipality in the Back Moun- ' tain joined in this effort to take control of our destiny before it is decided for us by real estate developers and chain stores. We shouldn’t reject prosperity, but we have every right to take i steps that will wring out the most benefit while blunting the detriments. ‘Old Shoe’is a orand ‘tradition .. and lots of fun How many communities are lucky enough to have two tradi- tions that span more than half a century? Not many, we would i guess, but you can count the Back Mountain among them. In July, thousands of us turn out for the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction, which this year took place for the ~ 57th time: Next weekend; the-Dallas and Lake-Lehman high school football teams will take the field to contest the 56th Old Shoe game, and cheering fans will fill the stands at Lehman’s Edward Edwards Stadium. The Old Shoe game’s longevity has surprised even its founders. In 1997, on the game’s 50th anniversary, Bob Dol- bear, who was a coach at the Dallas Township High School, said, “It was just an idea to recognize the best football team in the Back Mountain. We didn’t realize that it would continue for 50 years.” Make that 56 years, and counting. Things have change a lot over that span, of course. No longer do teams from Dallas, Lehman, Westmoreland and Kingston Township high schools meet on the field. Consolida- tion made it a two-school game starting in 1961, which al- lowed for a Thanksgiving weekend showdown in many of the years between 1967 and 1987. The requirements of a state playoff system moved the season back after that, but the schools were always able to schedule each other for the last regular-season game, adding an extra dose of excitement. Even that scenario was threatened by an ill-advised league re- arrangement that thankfully was abandoned after two seasons. This year’s game will add yet another new twist, since it will be played Friday night under the lights and on the artificial turf of the renovated stadium. Even if you aren’t a football fan, it’s worth the modest ticket price to share an evening of family fun and young persons’ achievement, whether on the field, playing in the band or cheering on the sidelines. The grizzled colors of fall. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Letters, columns and editorials The Dallas Post attempts to publish opinions on a variety of top- ics in many forms. Editorials, which are the opinion of the management of The Post, appear on the editorial page and are written by the editor un- less 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: e 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. e Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a telephone number for verification. e 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. Tue POST TIMES$LEADER Cogs unity Newspaper Group 15 N. MAIN ST., WILKES-BARRE PA 18711 « 570-675-5211 dallaspost@Ileader.net Ronald Bartizek Patrick McHugh EDITOR PUBLISHER Justin Wisnosk Erin Youngman ADVERTISING ACCT. XEC. REPORTER Greg Stauffer AD PRODUCTION MANAGER LIBRARY NEWS Library offers classes on basic computer skills The Back Mountain Memorial Library will hold a sec- ond Intro- ductory Computer class on Sat- urday, No- vember 1, from 10 a.m. to noon. There will also be a class on Internet Skills on Wednesday, November 5, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Space is limited, so sign up early. There is no charge. CAROL KING An announcement has been made of the “Letters About Lit- erature” contest for children in grades 4 through 12. The pro- gram is sponsored by the Cen- ter for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores and the Weekly Reader Corporation. Children are invited to write a letter to the author of a book that has inspired them, telling him or her how the books they chose have made a difference in their lives in some way. The nationwide contest has attract- ed thousands of entries every year, Entry forms are available at the library, or may be down- loaded on the computer at www.loc.gov/letters. The sub- mission deadline is December 6. 000 To encourage youngsters to participate in the contest, Catherine Gourley, a resident of Dallas, and the National Di- rector of the LAL program, has volunteered to hold a Read- ing/ Writing Workshop to intro- duce the contest theme and present some writing activities to help them start writing their letters. The workshop, limited to the younger children in grades 4 through 8, will be held on Wednesday, November 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. in the chil- dren’s room at the library. Call the libraty, 675-1182, to regis- ter for the workshop. Older children may consult the web- site for hints and sample letters from past winners. [ NN J The Slightly Read Bookstore on the library’s lower level cong tinues its sale of paperba books at $1 a bag. The Red Box Special offers fiction and non- fiction hardcover books at 25 cents each, or 5 for $1. Manag- er Fred Krohle also announces that there are special rates on paperbacks for organizations. Volunteers are needed for late afternoons on Mondays and Wednesdays, and on Saturdays. Call the library to volunteer. New books added to Back Mountain Library shelves “They Marched into Sunlight” bya David Maraniss & & The Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary, 96 Huntsville Road, Dal- las, announces the addition of the following books to their col- lection: EXPRESS LOAN “Split Second” by David Baldacci “Avenger” by Frederick Forsyth “South Beach Diet” by Arthur Agaston, M.D. “Bleachers” by John Grisham “Hello Darkness” by Sandra Brown “Last Lessons of Summer” by Margaret Maron FICTION | “Split Second” by David Baldacci “Avenger” by Frederick Forsyth “Blacklist” by Sara Paretsky “A Perfect Day” by Richard Paul Evans “The Bishop Goes to the Univer- sity” by Andrew Greeley “Stone Cold” by Robert B. Parker “The Way the Crow Flies” by Ann-Marie MacDonald “Our Lady of the Forest’ by David Guterson “No Angel” by Penny Vincenzi “Daughter” by Asha Bandele “Blue Horizon” by Wilbur Smith “Ascension” by Steven Galloway “The Dictionary of Magiao” by Shaogong Han “The Unknown World” by Ed- ward P. Jones “Winner of the National Book Award” by Jincy Willett NONFICTION “Treason” by Ann H. Coulter “The Ultimate Weight Solution” by Dr. Phil McGraw “Living a Year of Kaddish” by Ari L. Goldman “The Way the Crow Flies” by Ann-Marie MacDonald “Smoke Screen” by Kyle Mills “Hello Darkness” by Sandra Brown “The Pleasure of My Company” by Steve Martin “Dead Famous” by Carol O’Con- nell “The Calligrapher” by Edward See BOOKS, pg 7 70 Years Ago — October 27, 1933 DALLAS GETS LOWER STREETCAR FARE; NO CHANGE IN SHAVERTOWN In response to efforts made by groups from this section to have Wilkes-Barre Railway Corp. reduce its street car rates on the Dallas line, J.B. Potter, general manager of the trans- portation company this week reported the willing- ness of the utility to reduce the fare from Wilkes-Barre to Dallas from 32 cents to 24 cents and to cooper- ate in placing tickets for sale at convenient stores. Three carloads of automo- biles were received this week by James Oliver, local Dodge and Plymouth dealer. These shipments make 43 carloads of automobiles Mr. Oliver has re- ceived this year. Mr. and Mrs. Grover Ander- son of Harveys Lake have been exhibiting some’ unusually large varieties of pumpkins grown on their farm at the lake. The pumpkins which are as large as 160 pounds, have found a ready market in the Wyoming Valley where they are used extensively in fall window displays of the larger stores. ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago — October 29, 1943 JUNGLE SOLDIER WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SCOUT KNIFE FOR CHRISTMAS Stationed at a jungle out- post in the Far Pacific theater of war, there is just one thing Alan Kistler, former Dallas Post printer, would like to have above any other — an official Boy Scout knife. For the first time in many years, out of state buyers are scouring local orchards in an ef- fort to buy entire crops includ- ing drops and below standard fruit. Some items that could be purchased at Acme Markets: coffee, one pound bag for 24 cents; apple sauce, 11 cents a can; bread, two loaves for 17 cents. 50 Years Ago October 30, 1953 SWEET VALLEY NOXEN TO HAVE OWN EXCHANGE Commonwealth Telephone company on Monday will place in operation a new dial ex- change at Sweet Valley which is now served from the Dallas of- fice. There are 50 spring lambs this fall at Hillside Farms, Inc., born in the fall to Dorset Ewes. A dandelion and violet in full bloom from Ralph Wood, a report of Myrtle in flower from Howard Risley and a branch of apple blossoms, pink and fra- grant, from Harry Martin, com- pleted the local picture of May in October. 40 Years Ago October 24, 1963 POLIO VACCINATIONS Get your Sabin Oral Vaccine Sunday, same time, same place as on September 15 when the area responded with 75 percent of its residents, men women and children. Construction on Memorial Highway is proceeding at such a pace as to amaze both inter- ested citizens and engineers alike. Yesterday’s cavernous trenches are tomorrow’s smooth concrete. The first and only street light in Dallas Township has just been put up at the crossing on the Tunkhannock Highway by the New Goss Manor Asso- ciation. 30 Years Ago October 25, 1973 CONFUSION SURROUNDS BOROUGH APPOINTMENT Dallas Borough police chief Ray Titus and officer Sev New- berry are working 12-hour shifts and Pete Arnaud, newly- appointed borough council man, has resigned from another borough position because of a mistake in appointments. Dedication for the Dallas In- termediate Building were held on October 21. Congressman Daniel J. Flood was present to discuss how the new school came about. More than 100 Penn State officials, Wilkes-Barre Campus Advisory board members, are and state government official and others attended the dedica- tion of the 1.5 million laborato- ry at the campus in Lehman last Tuesday. 20 Years Ago October 26, 1983 $100 FEE FOR POLITICAL SIGNS IN KINGSTON TWP It will cost $100 for any polit- ical candidates who wish to hang their campaign posters in Kingston Township. The town- ship enacted a political sign or- dinance after growing com- plaints that long after elections were over political residue left the area looking like a bill- board. A fire in a dumpster at the Dallas High Senior High School early Sunday morning resulted in a small explosion, it was reported by Bob Besecker, Fire Company. assistant fire chief of the ®
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