4 The Post
EDITORIAL
Sunday, December 19, 2004
OUR OPINION
We can't let signs
obscure our charms
igns, signs, everywhere signs — some of them illegal
and many unattractive. That is now the state of affairs
along major roadways in the Back Mountain, but hope-
fully not for long.
The proliferation of garish signs is not in keeping with the
image of this region most of us like to hold. While our popula-
tion, housing and business community have been swelling, we
still like to think of the Back Mountain as a place that is
pleasing to the eye and easy on the spirit, and that is by and
large still true. But glaring commercial signs are taking their
toll, and unless they are brought under control, they could
overwhelm the positive appeal that remains.
This is not to blame businesses that erect signs, as long as
they are within the framework of zoning ordinances. They are
only following the rules of free enterprise, looking for an
advantage over competitors and opportunities to catch the
eye of customers. The fault lies not with them, but with out-
dated and weakly enforced regulations allowing signs that are
too large, too many and too ugly.
The subject has come to a head in Dallas Borough in part
because of a rejected variance request, but it has been over-
looked for far too long in most of our towns. Change will not
come easy, or fast, but it is necessary to help our little corner
of the world retain some semblance of the charm that has
drawn — or kept — many of us here.
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 1s 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.
irginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been
affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do
not believe 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 universe 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 enjoyment 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 thou-
sand years, from now, he will continue to make glad the heart
of childhood.”
Letters are welcome
Letters to the editor are welcome.
Letters can be sent many ways:
By e-mail to: thepost@leader.net
By mail to: The Post, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre PA 18711.
By using the drop box located in the Uni-Mart convenience store
on Route 309 in Dallas, across from the Dallas Shopping Center.
Hie POST
TIMESeLEADER Community Newspaper Group
15 N. MAIN ST., WILKES-BARRE PA 18711 « 570-675-5211
thepost@leader.net
Patrick McHugh Ronald Bartizek
PUBLISHER EDITOR
Justin Wisnosk
ADVERTISIN
Pat O'Donnell
PREPRESS MANAGER
3 ia
What" S lack and white - and ¢ gray and ¢ orange - and ved all over? Photo 1 Charlotte Bartizek.
LIBRARY NEWS
Library open house December 21, 29
the
Christmas
approaching, and we
want to remind you of
library’s
open house, scheduled
for = Tuesday
Wednesday, December
is fast
annual
explain the
and
A Friends of the Library volunteer will be
on hand during many of the operating
hours of the library this next week to
Giving Tree
Contributions of $5 and up for the adults’
tree, and $1 for the children’s tree, will be
project.
of February 1 and end the week of Aprils
Again this year, best wishes from a holi¢
day filled with the love of family and
friends, and the warmth of happy mero"
ries, from all of the library staff, starting as
always with the M’s — Martha, Marilyn,’
21 and 22, from 1 to 4 greatly appreciated. Millie and Margaret — and Anna, Brian,
CAROL p.m. each day. Everyone soe Cara, Cindy, Dan, Debbie, Edie, Janet and’
KING is cordially invited to Registration for the children’s winter Katelyn. I would like to join them, as well. ©
attend and to partake of story hours will begin on Tuesday, January = A Happy New Year to all! i &
refreshments. 4. The programs will begin during the week
70 Years Ago Lt. Kern, 22, is a B-17 Flying Community Hall, since the braced for a trio of big utility
Dec. 21, 1934 Fortress bomber pilot with Lake-Noxen high school rate hikes. The Dallas Asea :
nineteen attacks to his credit. remained without water. Municipal Authority plans an
NOTED ARTIST increase of about 28 percent. ;
PAINTS TOBY’S Haddonfield Farm, Idetown, 40 Years Ago UGI Corp. has filed for a 9 per-
CREEK SCENES will ship hundreds of English Dec. 17, 1964 cent hike in electricity rates and
WWE : pheasants to out-of: state buy- : : PG&W is seeking 15 to 20 per: y
Aston Knight, 2 noted: 15 purchased as Christmas GROUNDBREAKING cent higher fees. Lol
American painter, spent two presents. After they are bled FOR NEW DALLAS [0 Sau00
days painting scenes along the out, male and female pairs are POST OFFICE The Lodge at Newberry,
banks of Toby’s Creek. The two
paintings
were to be
exhibited at
t h e
Wyoming
Valley
Women’s
Club. They
showed the
contrast between the once-
undisturbed creek and its pres-
ent condition at the East
Boston Colliery.
ONLY
YESTERDAY
A pickup team consisting of
former high school players and
other local athletes defeated
Dallas Borough High School
team 6-0. The game was a ben-
efit promoted by friends of
Clarence LaBarr. Bob Hislop
scored the winning touchdown.
Mrs. Karl Kuehn, first vice
president of the Dallas
Women’s Club, was chairman of
a dance to be held December 29
at the Irem Country Club.
60 Years Ago
Dec. 22, 1944
LT. CHARLES W. KERN
EARNS SECOND
OAK LEAF CLUSTER
Second Lt. Charles W. Kern,
of Alderson, has been decorated
with his second Oak Leaf
Cluster to his Air Medal for
“meritorious achievement” on
combat missions over Europe.
packed for shipping in natural
pine shipping boxes decorated
with pine sprigs, holly and red
berries.
Mrs. James Sands was elect-
ed president and Mrs. Herman
DeWolfe vice president of the
Anderson Sunday School class
at the Carverton church.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 17, 1954
LITTLE DOG
RECOVERS AFTER
SAVING OWNERS
Bambi, the heroic little
Chihuahua that roused the
. Gary Cuppels family in time to
avert grim tragedy, is recover-
ing from pneumonia contracted
when he braved dense smoke to
reach her owners and give the
alarm.
Mrs. Iris Kitchen and her
husband Walter have given
tower chimes to the Alderson
Methodist Church in memory
of her parents and grandpar-
ents. The Schulmertronic
tower chimes are manufactured
in Sellersville, Pa.
Mrs. Fred Swanson directed a
performance of “The Youngest
Shepherd” for nearly 100 mem-
bers of the Harveys Lake
Women’s Service Club. Alan
Swanson held the title role. The
show took place at the Kunkle
Ground was broken for the
new Dallas Post Office, in the
site of the old passenger rail sta-
tion. Congressman Daniel J.
Flood, who fought to keep the
Dallas office separate from
Wilkes-Barre, turned the first
shovel of dirt.
Jack Stanley, plant manager
of Natona Mills, hosted 300
employees at a Christmas party
held at O’Connell’s Twin Lakes.
Susan Strohl will play Mary
and Carl Goeringer will be
Joseph in the Christmas
Pageant at Prince of Peace
Episcopal Church. Mrs. Sanford
Kellogg, director, has written
an original song, “The
Christmas Gift,” for the show.
30 Years Ago
Dec. 19, 1974
TAXPAYER GROUP
CITES PROGRESS
WITH AMERICAN
ASPHALT
The Jackson Township
Resident Taxpayers Association
heard about 14 points that have
been negotiated with American
Asphalt, including monitors for
blasting, fencing and erosion
control. Efforts to limit early
starting times for blasting have
failed.
Back Mountain residents
Estate was advertising a,
Christmas Eve dinner with a.
choice of four entrees, veg-
etable, salad and a dessert table
for $6.75 per person, $3.75 fo
children under 12. »
20 Years Ago’
Dec.19,1984
CLEARY WINS
CONTESTED SCHOOL ,
DIRECTOR POST
After a series of fruitless,
votes, John Cleary was elected
to fill a vacant position on the:
Dallas School Board. Votes for
Cleary and James Richardson
had been deadlocked at four
each until an exasperated |
Richardson offered to withdraw:
his name. The vacancy was cre-
ated by the resignation of
Barbara Mead.
Sandra Cooper and Her
daughter, Elizabeth Cooper,
both of Shavertown, passed
their state boards for cosmetol-
ogy and are now licensed cos-
metologists.
The new auxiliary of 8
Meadows Nursing Center com--
pleted its first project, brighten- |
ing the holidays for residerits.’
Auxiliary members hosted par-
ties that included refreshments’ :
and music, while Pearl Gruver,'’
Glenne Wilson, Mazie Mazar
and Marcella Birkbeck decorst- i
ed a Christmas tree. : i
MOMENTS
The History Channel
e On Dec. 23, 1931, Bette
Davis signs with Universal after
years of work as a struggling
actress, and she makes her film
debut the following year in
“Bad Sister.”
e On Dec. 24, 1953,
“Dragnet” becomes the first
network TV series with a regu-
lar sponsor when Fatima ciga-
rettes signs on to back the
show.
'® On Dec. 20, 1963, the
Berlin Wall is opened for the
first time in more than two
years, as nearly 4,000 West .
IN TIME
Berliners are allowed to cross
into communist East Berlin to
visit relatives for one day.
Under an agreement reached
between East and West Berlin,
more than 170,000 passes were
eventually issued to West
Berlin citizens.
® On Dec. 26, 1966, the first
Kwanzaa is celebrated in Los
Angeles under the direction of
Maulana Karenga, the chair of
Black Studies at California
State University at Long Beach.
The seven-day holiday, which
has strong African roots, was
designed by Dr. Karenga as a
celebration of African-
Pe
American family, community
and culture.
® On Dec, 22, 1973, a federal
speed limit of 55 mph is
imposed throughout the United
States. Although the new limit
led to widespread speeding,
studies showed it achieved its
goals of increasing safety and
fuel economy.
e On Dec. 21, 1988, Pan Am
Flight 103 from London to New
York explodes in midair 31,000
feet over Lockerbie, Scotland,
when a bomb hidden inside an
audio cassette player detonates
inside the cargo area. All 259
passengers, including 38
Syracuse University students q
* returning home for the holi-
days, were killed in the explo-
sion.
e On Dec. 25, 1996, singer- |
songwriter Jimmy Buffett ,
departs with his family on a :
three-week cruise in the
Southern Hemisphere that will
inspire his book “A Pirate Looks
at Hay (1998). The book hit
No. 1, making Buffett one" of"
only a handful of writers —
including Ernest Hemingway,
John Steinbeck and Dr. |
— to top both the fiction
nonfiction bestseller lists. 1!
(c) 2004 King Features Synd., Ing;;/1