6 The Post OUR OPINION Eliminate static in emergency services Our region is blessed with an abundance of volunteer talent and dedication. From Little League coaches to those who stock library shelves, whether as individuals or within organizations, they add extra touches that make life easier, more complete and more fulfilling. Perhaps none are more committed — or important — than volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel. Theirs is a task that serves the most fundamental of needs, safety and security at times of distress. And as anyone who has seen them in action knows, they are very good at what they do. Even at that, we are witness to only a small slice of the time, effort and sacrifice that go into making someone an effec- tive protector of public safety. Under the demands of state and federal regulations, as well as a desire to do their job well, these volunteers spend dozens — even hundreds — of hours in training so they can master their equipment and advanced life-saving techniques, going so far as to devote weeklong vaca- tions to classes that enhance their skills. But a changing society has put pressure on even the most dedicated of these volunteers, with work often found far from home and demanding more hours during the week, leaving precious little time to spend with one’s family on evenings or weekends. And it is becoming more and more rare that an em- ployer will allow his staff to leave the workplace unannounced to respond to a call for help. Two local departments — Dallas Fire and Ambulance and Kingston Township Ambulance — have addressed this dangerous trend by blending paid person- nel with volunteers in order to provide consistently quick reac- tions to emergency calls. That change should not be misread as a criticism of volun- teer performance, but only as a pragmatic response to a diffi- cult situation. There are still plenty of departments that rely solely on volunteers and provide excellent service, and we have no doubt that members of every single fire and ambu- lance company in the area put forth the best effort they can muster. But the practical truth is that not every town has the necessary combination of talent, time and location that allows them to put together a crew at a moment’s notice. This is not an argument for fully-paid emergency services. Not only would the expense of such a system be unbearable, eliminating volunteers would change the character of our small towns and separate us from the people we count on when we are most in need. Developing a combination of paid and volunteer emergency response personnel is a positive step toward assuring that the high-quality service we now enjoy will continue, or even improve. The secret to success for such a meld is open communica- tion among everyone who will be affected. That has not been the case in this first experiment, with the result that rumors, assumptions and misunderstandings have been flying about like ladybugs on a sunporch. There is still opportunity for the architects of this apparently worthwhile expansion to bring the people they serve into the process, particularly as it seems like- ly additional paid staff will be added in the future. We urge officials from the departments and municipalities involved to hold a “town meeting” type of gathering, well-pub- licized in advance. Not only could this eliminate harmful ru- mors, it could provide a showcase for the fine work that is be- ing done and progressive plans to make our lives even more se- cure. School director should not be appointed at Courthouse It was an awkward moment Monday, when four members of the Dallas School Board walked out of a meeting in order to preclude the possibility that a motion would be made suggest- ing a replacement for Anthony Barbose, who resigned unex- pectedly November 1. Earlier in the meeting, board member Frank Natitus had been blocked — twice — from reading a let- ter of interest from Dennis Gochoel, who finished just out of the running in November’s general election after earning a place on the ballot by finishing ahead of three incumbents in the May primary. Some sitting board members suggested it would be unseem- - ly to entertain thoughts of a replacement at the last meeting for the defeated incumbents. That seems like a lame excuse for putting off an important decision, which if not made by the board before December 1 will be in the hands of a Luzerne County judge with little intimate knowledge of the opportuni- ties and challenges that face the Dallas district. After all, the incumbents had been serving since May while knowing they would not continue. Or could they? It is possible — some say likely — that one of the incumbents will be appointed to the open position. The justification for this line of thinking is that with three brand- new members, the board could benefit from the experience and institutional memory of a veteran. On the other side, the argument is that voters made their feelings known when they gave Gochoel their votes, and their will should be obeyed. The worst way to handle this situation is to hand it over to the political bureaucracy. The best way is for the school board to schedule a special meeting before December 1, accept nomi- nations and seat whoever wins a majority of votes. That’s the American way, and it should be the Dallas way. Falls brilliance in Lehman. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Send your news to The Post by e-mail. dallaspost@leader.net Digital photos welcome, too! Tue POST TIMESeLEADER Cogaunity Newspaper Group 15 N. MAIN ST., WILKES- E PA 18711 « 570-675-5211 dallaspost@leader.net Patrick McHugh Ronald Bartizek PUBLISHER EDITOR Justin Misosky Erin Youngman ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. REPORTER Greg Stauffer AD PRODUCTION MANAGER GUEST COLUMN Finding a sense for our past on a walk in the woods By MATTHEW LLOYD I make a right turn out of my driveway and head south on Machell Avenue. I start off slow and cold, the early morning air condensing in front of me with each breath. I'm out for an au- tumn jog, but I feel more like plodding along. Today is a gor- geous fall day, the colors are late in turning, but they are here just the same. I reach the end of Machell Avenue and turn west onto Reservoir Road. Until a few years ago this was a gravel road. I still call it the “Dirt Road.” To my left I catch a quick glimpse of the Huntsville Reservoir through the yellow and red treed canopy. I'm out with my dog, Oslo, and he, too, sights the cold, sparkling water. He looks back at me, pointing with anticipation of a swim. “Not yet, Os,” I say as we pass by an opening in the trees which affords spectacular views: lapping water upon rocky shoreline, a rolling gold- en hillside, and the sweeping green meadow of a distant farm. I begin climbing towards Center Hill near the old Wake- field estate. I notice the rusted- old lightning rods and weather- vane atop the white clapboard barn; I wonder about all the storms these long forgotten in- struments have seen from atop an Dallas Post correspondent Mary Barbara Gilligan snapped this photo of wild turkeys near her Dallas home. out on Route 118. Cars and trucks blow past me at high rates of speed, one after anoth- er. There is more traffic on these roads then I ever remem- ber. I take a tight leash with Oslo and move well onto the shoulder. Looking for the nearest exit point I plunge east onto Old Huntsville-Idetown Road and then north onto the cool and dark forested Fern Ridge Road. poke along. I stare upward to view the changing maples, oaks and other species of trees I have yet to identify. A forma- tion of geese fly in a “V” across the northern sky. Oslo stands motionless, pointing down a side trail. Then, Whoomph! We jump — Oslo with excitement and me with surprise. Up flutter a dozen wild turkeys noisily clucking and flapping into the time I've reached the end of the road, Valentine’s Farm, and then the woods beyond. I come across a lone hunter who suits up in camouflage and bow and arrows. We startle each other; both he and I pause for a moment. I give him a nod and a broad swath and we van- ish off-trail into the deep woods. I pass by a formal white sign stapled to a young tree. It OH reads: No Trespassing No Fishing No Hunting Trespassers will be prosecut- ed to the full extent of the law. Penalties for trespassing in- clude fines and/or imprison- ment. (PA. Crimes Code, 1972, Dec. 6, P.L.1482, No.334) ‘Pennsylvania — American Wa- ter Company (PAWC) 800 West Hersheypark Drive Hershey, PA 17033 I take this sign as an omi- nous reminder that I am not welcome here. I am nervous about this company’s rights to develop, sell and profit. I later visit Pennsylvania American Water Company’s website: http://www.amwater.com/aw pr/paaw/start/index.html. I read that PAWC “protects our water resources.” But I wonder how devoted PAWC is to the environment when earning a profit remains top priority. their perch. Oslo catches a scent and underbrush. My heart races I pick up the pace to a run. I Before I know it 'm headed runs ahead to investigate. I and I speed on ahead. In no See WOODS, pg 7 70 Years Ago Company of which Andrew J. Anthony Javor’s store at Alder- Mountain area. Structures for ‘November 17. 1933 Sordoni of Harveys Lake and son would have gone up in four new businesses and one - ? Wilkes-Barre is president and smoke Sunday night. Chief addition are now under con- founder, has filed a $1,000,000 Edgar Hughes found the build- struction. RURAL BASKETBALL libel suite against Arthur W. A. ing smouldering, and helped — Walter A. Zell, Lehman LEAGUE ORGANIZES Cowan, Philadelphia Attorney. to extinguish the fire. Township candidate for tax : poe The current issue of collector, reported on election — Representatives of Or- American Photography, na- 40) Years Ago day that his large political ange, Noxen, Shavertown, and Trucksville, were present at the second re-organization meeting of the Rural Basketball League. These four teams and possibly Dallas will comprise the circuit. — Dallas Post Office will close each Satur- day at noon if petitions signed by a majority of the business men of Dallas are approved by the United States Post Office Department. — Harley Misson of Main Street, Shavertown, widely known around these parts, suf- fered a fractured knee when he slipped and fell while working as an employee of Wilkes-Barre Railway Company on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre. ONLY YESTERDAY 60 Years Ago November 19, 1943 SORDONI CO. SUES FILES $1 MILLION LIBES SUIT — The Sordoni Construction tionally known magazine and leader in its field, contains an interesting article on “Pho- tographing in a Coal Mine,” by Albert Williams, Trucksville. — John Hildebrandt, E. Dal- las, has recently acquired a registered Holstein-Friesian bull from the heard of Carl G. Wooster, Union Hill N.Y. - 50 YearsAgo November 20, 1953 FIRST WOMAN FUNERAL DIRECTOR IN REGION — Mrs. Alfred Bronson, Sweet Valley, has received word that she has successfully passed the state board exami- nation in August and is now a licensed funeral director. Mrs. Bronson, is the first woman fu- neral director in the Back Mountain area. — Dorothy Pellam, Beau- mont, spent three days at Gen- eral Hospital after being bit by a neighbor’s monkey Sunday. The monkey, property of Ed Freeman, was up a tree, to en- joy the mild weather, and curbed only by a chain. — Another 15 minutes and November 14, 1963 NEW SCHOOL DIRECTOR — Following in the political footsteps of her father, Mrs. Barbara Vivian, Huntsville, was recently elected to office — the first woman school di- rector in Lehman Township. — Demolition of Carverton homes in the proposed park site area in that vicinity is pro- ceeding rapidly under the di- rection of John Parrish and Son, who hold the contract for dismantling. — Walter Prokopchak, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Prokopchak, Orange, was grazed on the foot by when his 22 accidentally discharged late Monday morning. The boy was target shooting behind his home at the time. 30 Years Ago November 15, 1973 BACK MOUNTAIN ENJOYS BUILDING BOOM — A building boom seems to be taking place in the Back signs posted on Route 118, had disappeared. — Shots were fired Monday at three Dallas Borough busi- nesses. At least one person, g woman at Bernie’s Pizza ho @ was hit by flying glass. : 20 Years Ago November 16, 1983 DEMOCRATS WIN AT HARVEYS LAKE — Democrats won all six open seats on Harveys Lake Borough Council in last Tues- day’s election. Democrat Daniel Blain, whose term has not expired, holds the seventh seat. — The Maggie Publick House, located at Newberry Estates, closed its doors for good Sunday, thus joining the growing number of restaurants that have been unable to suc- ceed in the prime location. — Andrew J. Sordoni III of Warden Place, Harveys Lake, has been re-elected chairman of the board of the Pennsylvags. nia Chamber of Commerce. [ ] a —— a ,..T
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers