as i ——. | 6 The Post EDITORIAL Sunday, December 21, 2003 OUR OPINION May our troops’ Christmas be safe It’s a good bet that several hundred thousand American families would welcome one Christmas gift over all others this year, the safe return of their loved ones from Iraq and Afghanistan. But that will not happen; only a minor replace- ment has appeared in the capture of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator who has defied and taunted the world communi- ty for three decades. Thanks to 21st century communication devices, those of us living comfortably in Northeastern Pennsylvania can feel just a small fraction of the pride and elation savored by our troops and the Iraqi people at this turn of events, as described by Spc. Eric Pimm of Harveys Lake in an e-mail message to The Post earlier this week. Dr. Juan DeRojas of Jackson Township also knows firsthand the joy that has replaced the frustration con- fronting U.S. soldiers as the months wore on, no weapons of mass destruction were found and Hussein remained at large, presumably directing mortal attacks on our soldiers. DeRojas, on his second tour of 2003 as an Army Reservist, was attached to a medic unit that traveled with a strike force tracking the dictator. So, that part of the job is over, and we at home can get back to the tasks of shopping for gifts, watching football games and preparing a sumptuous holiday feast. As we do, let’s not forget the daily sacrifices made and risks faced by the men and women who are serving our interests in dreary, dangerous places far from home and family. Their holiday will not be the merry and bright one of song, but we can hope and pray it brings them one day closer to a healthy and happy return. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus The New York Sun was started in 1833 by Benjamin H. Day, then just 23. The publication - which became one of the great newspapers in America -was the first New York “penny paper.” The Sun ceased publication in 1950, but every Christmas its memory is revived by an editorial printed on Sept. 21, 1897. Virginia O’Hanlon, a New York City youngster, wrote this letter. Dear Editor: I'm 8 years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says. “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O'Hanlon 115 W. 95th St. The letter wound up on the desk of Francis Pharacellus Church. an assistant editor of The Sun. A more hardened per- son might have thrown it away, but Church felt differently. He wrote this reply. “Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been af- fected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not be- lieve except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great uni- verse of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. “Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. “Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith, then no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoy- ment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world, would be extinguished. “Not believe In Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? : “Nobody sees Santa Claus. But that is not a sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. “You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering in the unseen world which not the strongest man, not even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. “Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. “No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now Virginia, nay ten times ten thousand years, from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.” Send your news to The Post by e-mail. dallaspost@leader.net Digital photos welcome, too! Tie POST TIMESeLEADER Comunity Newspaper Group 15 N. MAIN ST., WILKES-B PA 18711 « 570-675-5211 dallaspost@leader.net Ronald Bartizek Patrick McHugh EDITOR PUBLISHER Justin Wisnosk % Erin Youngman ADVERTISING ACCT. EXEC. REPORTER Greg Stauffer AD PRODUCTION MANAGER RIE Waiting for spring in Sweet Valley. Photo by Ron Bartizek. LETTERS Supervisor: Open burning ban sufficiently aired Editor, The article on a proposed open burning ban for Kingston Township was biased and un- fair to the present Board of Su- pervisors. Kingston Town- ship’s solicitor was to examine two ordinances on the books in the Township, BOCA fire code ordinance adopted in 1994 and the Open Burning Ordinance adopted in 1985. Solicitor Ben Jones handed down an opinion which clearly stated the two named ordi- nances were in conflict and that in fact the earlier ordi- nance was cancelled by the second one. That meant that all burning permits that were issued after that date were ille- gal. The Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Environmental Protec- tion issued a letter to the Township stating that it was out of compliance with Act 101 and Act 97 because of its permitting of open burning. The Dallas Area Municipal Au- thority was also informed that unless the participating mu- nicipalities should adopt open burning bans so as to increase the possibility of obtaining fu- ture recycling state or federal grants. As to the charge that remov- ing from the table the motion to consider an open burning ban was some how considered to be “underhanded,” “sneaky” or “undemocratic” is absurd on the face of it. Citizens came to the Township Planning Commission and complained about open burning. The Plan- ning Commission sent it on to the Board for consideration. The Board of Supervisors dis- cussed in four public work ses- sions and four regular meet- ings and took input from resi- dents. The Board then held a public hearing on the pro- posed new ordinance where again public input was sought. I would suggest that those meetings represented democ- racy in action and allowed for a huge volume of citizen par- ticipation. The ordinance will be written by the township so- licitor and then there will be a public hearing and then two successive votes by the Board of Supervisors. I believe all®/ residents need to be free of smoke and stinking fires be- cause the smoke does not stop at your neighbor’s border. Carl Goodwin Vice Chair, Kingston Town- ship Board of Supervisors LIBRARY NEWS Training for Life program to be presented at library Gary Barnes, in the This who are CAROL KING will last a lifetime. The course is free and open to the public. No special attire is required. Call the library, 675-1182, for more in- formation or to register. Tactical Master In- structor at the NE Kenpo Karate Sys- tem of Dallas, will present the “Train- ing for Life” system children’s room at the library on Monday, Decem- ber 29, at 2 pm. program is aimed especially at helping young adults attending high school, or plan to attend college and live on or off campus, to take control of their own safety. The program is not physically demanding, but uses everyday movements to pro- vide personal protection basics that to register. ing: month. (1 1] “Peepers” reading glasses are now available at the library. Whimsical and useful, they make great holiday gifts. This is a fundraising project of the Friends of the Library. All you need to know is the magnification that would be best for your recipient. Don't forget these other items for last-minute giv- library tote bags, boards, Entertainment Books and last, but not least, contributions to the “Giv- ing Tree,” which would allow you to honor a family member or friend, and support the library at the same time. The trees will be up until the end of the The young adult craft program scheduled for December 13 was post- poned until Tuesday, December 30, at 1 p.m. in the children’s room. There is a fee of $3 for supplies. Call the library During the month of November, the Dallas Kiwanis presented the library with a check for $200; the Schiowitz Family Foundation donated $300; and an anonymous donation of $250 was also received. Visits to the library were slate chalk made by Maureen Devine and a group of twenty 4-5 year olds; and by sixteen 3-5 olds and their teacher from Head Start Dallas. Statistics for the month included: books added, 241; new borrowers, 64; total active borrowers, 16,152. total : circulation, 7,316; Best wishes for a holiday filled with the love of family and friends, and the warmth of happy memories, from all of the library staff, starting with the M's, as always — Martha, Marilyn, Millie and Margaret — and Anna, Brian, Cara, Cindy, Dan, Debbie, Edie, Holly, and Janet. A Happy New Year to you all! 70 Years Ago December 22, 1933 CWA PROJECTS TO BRING 250 JOBS — Temporary employment for at least 250 men during the next few months is assured by the differ- ent Civil Works proj ects, which are either under way or about to started in the re- gion. ONLY YESTERDAY be — Mrs. Margaret Hope, Shavertown, died Tuesday at 7:15 of pneumonia at the home of her daughter Mrs. R.L. Richards of East Orange, N.J. — A Dallas Borough High School Gymnasium Team has been reorganized under the leadership of George Lewis, a post-graduate of the school. 60 Years Ago December 24, 1943 CHRISTMAS MASS MARKS FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. THERESE’S — The foundation for the beautiful stone church on Pio- neer Avenue was started in June 1928. On Christmas Eve that year, the first mass was sung. — It is announced by Mrs. Samuel Buckman, chairman of the Red Cross, that Dallas schools have enrolled 100 per- cent of their students in the Ju- nior Red Cross. — US.O. Lounge in Wilkes- Barre, is greatly in need of Ping Pong balls. Ping Pong seems to be the favorite game of service men. Anyone who wants to contribute should get in touch with headquarters. 50 Years Ago December 18, 1953 KEIL IS MADE HEAD OF KIS-LYN SCHOOL — William Keil, widely known former head of the Vet- eran’s Vocational Agricultural School in Dallas Township, and the man who organized the Veteran’s School at Lake- Lehman in ‘47, has been named superintendent of Kis-Lyn In- dustrial School. — Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Robowski, hunting with their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Hynick, each shot a hundred and thirty pound doe at Red Rock, Monday. Each dressed his own deer, dragged it to their car and placed it in their trunk where it was taken to their Pike’s Creek home. 40 Years Ago December 19, 1963 DARING DOUSES EXPENSIVE FIRE — Billows of raging smoke pouring from the chimney of his Memorial Highway smoke- house caught the eye of Ray Daring Saturday night, allow- ing him to keep a rampant fire from completely destroying the building. — Arthur Smith was named vice-president of Kingston Township Supervisors at a meeting of the board Wednes- day night. — Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stoss, Dallas, became parents for the sixteenth time when a daugh- ter, Brenda Lee, was born De- cember 8. See YESTERDAY, pg 7 Q: Where do you find the most Back Mountain news each week? A: Only in The Post ERE Se SR ST Ee BRR PR ESE FE SS
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers