The Post EDITORIAL Sunday, January 9, 2005z OUR OPINION New tax could make sense in some cases tax or not to tax, that is the question. And so far, ; local municipalities have come up with a variety of answers. In the waning days of 2004, the State Legislature passed and Governor Ed Rendell signed an act that allows municipal- ities and school districts to exchange the $10 annual Occupational Privilege Tax for an Emergency and Municipal Services Tax of up to $52 yearly. Carrying a more palatable name, the EMS tax has particular appeal to towns and bor- oughs that are the home base for large employers, many of whom don’t live there. Two of those, Jackson and Lehman townships, quickly jumped on the bandwagon, adopting the maximum rate. Other officials greeted the rare prospect of raising revenue from people who can’t vote them out of office with a yawn, either because their town doesn’t need the money or because they couldn’t react quickly enough to this last-minute oppor- tunity. Proceeds from the EMS tax are to be used ostensibly only for “police, fire or emergency services; road construction or maintenance; or for the reduction of property taxes,” a limita- tion that does not apply to school districts, although they are limited to $10 per year. It is often said that no one likes to pay taxes. While that may be the case, there is good reason for some municipalities to consider this one. Perhaps the best is that people who- work in a town use services even if they don’t live there. Roads must be maintained and plowed so they can get to work, fire and ambulance companies must respond if there is an emergency or accident, and property values may be degraded by the presence of an employer that doesn’t pay property taxes. Jackson Township, for example, hosts the State Correctional Institution at Dallas, which occupies 1,600 acres of tax-exempt land. It also is the site of frequent fire and ambulance responses, and it’s safe to say wed all be uncom- fortable if guards couldn’t get to work on snowy days. Lehman Township and Dallas Township both are home to schools and district administrative offices that require similar services, but the majority of whose employees do not live in the townships. Is adopting this tax a wise move for all towns? No, but it certainly is a defensible action in those communities that pro- vide a disproportionate share of services to people who other- wise offer little financial support. MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel ¢ On Jan. 13, 1861, Stephen Foster, America’s first professional songwriter, dies at the age of 37 in the charity ward of New York’s Bellevue Hospital. Despite scores of hits such as “Oh! Susanna,” “Swanee River,” “Camptown Races” and “My Old Kentucky Home,” copyright laws were rarely enforced in music at the time, and Foster reaped few financial rewards. ¢ On Jan. 10,,1901, in the town of Beaumont, Texas, the first major oil discovery in the United States is made as a 100-foot drilling derrick named Spindletop produces a roaring gusher of black crude oil. e On Jan. 12, 1932, Ophelia Wyatt Caraway, a Democrat from Arkansas, becomes the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Caraway had been appointed to the Senate two months earlier to fill the vacancy left by her late husband, Thaddeus Horatio Caraway. ® On Jan. 11, 1944, Franz Kettner, a private in the German army and a prisoner of war at Camp Hearne in Texas, is killed by a Nazi kangaroo court. Internment camps for German POWs were domi- nated by Nazi enforcers, who killed as many as 150 of their fellow prisoners during World War II. American officials often looked the other way because the Nazis maintained order in the camps. ® On Jan. 15, 1974, the first episode of “Happy Days” airs. The show, which portrayed the comic antics of 1950s Milwaukee high school student Richie Cunningham, was immensely popular and launched several spin-offs, including “Laverne & Shirley” and “Mork & Mindy.” ® On Jan. 14, 1980, after being released from government con- trol, gold soars to a new record price, exceeding $800 an ounce. ¢ On Jan. 16, 1991, the U.N. deadline for Iraq’s withdrawal from Kuwait expires and the Persian Gulf War begins as aircraft from the US.-led military coalition begin bombing targets in and around Baghdad. (c) 2005 King Features Synd., Inc. Letters are welcome Letters to the editor are welcome and will be published, subject to the following guidelines: e Letters should not exceed 500 words. ® Letters must be signed and include the writer's home town and a daytime telephone number for verification. e Names will be withheld only if there exists a clear and verifi- able 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. 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. Closed for the season. Photo by Charlotte Bartizek. Volunteers sought for state's Breeding Bird Atlas survey = Help is especially needed in rural areas to complete 5-year study The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Carnegie Museum of Natural History are looking for both casual and avid birdwatchers to help monitor nesting wild birds as part of the second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Program supervisor, said help is particularly needed in more rural areas. “If you're interested in help- ing in a rural area — one that you live in or are willing to trav- el to — we'd like to hear from you.” Brauning said. “Even if you haven't watched birds much before now, there still is plenty of time to learn how to observe and identify them and to help in this important sur- vey.” The atlas is the most exten- sive survey of the state’s nest- ing birds ever attempted. Started this spring, the grid- based survey will continue for the next five years and aims to track changes that have occurred in bird populations since the first atlas was com- pleted in 1989. Since that time, eagles, ospreys and peregrine falcons have expanded their breeding numbers substantial ly. Also of interest will be chart- ing whether long-term declines of many of songbirds reported in the first atlas continues. “The new survey incorpo- rates new methods to docu- ment secretive and rare species, and will provide a new look at distribution patterns as they relate. to species abundance,” Brauning explained. “The sec- ond atlas also will provide new information that will aid in the management of all bird species, and will include a special focus to update the historic locations of ‘species’ of special ‘€oncern statewide.” Although it follows and large-- ly replicates the first’ atlas, which was conducted in Pennsylvania from 1983 to 1989, the second atlas project will provide new levels of understanding for the state’s bird populations that will help to ensure their conservation now and in the future. It is funded largely with federal State Wildlife Grant monies through the Game Commission and organized and coordinated by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History through offices at the museum’s Powdermill Nature Reserve. “Right now, the second Atlas is looking for as much help as it can muster from Pennsylvania’s estimated 2.7 million bird- watchers,” noted Bob Mulvihill, a field ornithologist at Carnegie Museum’s Powdermill Nature Reserve, who is serving as the Atlas project coordinator. “This project’s success depends on the participation of thousands of volunteer bird watchers. The original Atlas was done with help from more than 2 2,000 volunteers. But ‘there are more than 4,900 blocks to cover Pennsylvania’s nearly 45,000 square miles, more volunteer assistance would help this important effort. When it’s finished in 2008, the second atlas will show changes in the occurrence and distribution of the state’s nearly 200 species of nesting birds, and promises to provide much, additional information about, the state’s breeding birds. , Success in getting to the finish line and the quantity and quali, ty of data collected will be. 5 directly influenced by the num-., ber of volunteers who partici ; pate, especially covering blocks ; in rural Pennsylvania. Individuals interested in vol: unteering for Atlas survey work -, may register on the atlas web, site at www.pabirdatlas.org, MD call atlas project coordinators: at 724-593-6022. On the web site, volunteers will be able tos find out which region they're in and which regional coordinator, - to contact for help; print; 7 instructions, block maps, field, cards and other forms needed; for doing the Atlas; get bird--, watching and bird identifica-; q tion tips; view complete results, from the, first Atlas; follow the, progress of the second Atlas; and enter their observations of breeding birds. To date, about 750 volunteers. have registered and begun hel ) ing in more than 1,400 blocks 113 the second survey. 0) 7 Tie POST TIMESeLEADER Community Newspaper Group 15 N. MAIN ST., WILKES-BARRE PA 18711 ¢ 570-675-5211 thepost@Ileader.net Patrick McHugh Ronald Bartizek PUBLISHER EDITOR Justin Wisnosk ADVERTISIN Pat O'Donnell PREPRESS MANAGER 70 Years Ago Jan. 11, 1935 FLYING ACES THRILL DALLAS ONLOOKERS Residents of Dallas were thrilled Saturday afternoon when Lieut. John P Kirkendall and Major William A. Kepner flew over Dallas and gave a flying exhi- bition for a few minutes before proceeding to the Scranton Airport where they landed and came to Dallas to visit Lieut. Kirkendall’s parents, Postmaster and Mrs. George Kirkendall. ONLY YESTERDAY The home of Lee Hessler of Rice Street, Trucksville, was entered sometime Friday night while the family was absent and made good their getaway with a good amount of jewelry and other valuables. While playing cards on the first floor of their home one evening during the past week, burglars entered the home of William DeWitt of Trucksville, and escaped with $19 in cash. An ad from Gay-Murray Co. in Tunkhannock read: “Just sev- eral days ago, Sands Brothers at North Eaton killed a Berkshire hog which dressed 646 lbs. All of which reminds us that we have the Smoke, Salt, Knives, and Scrappers needed when you kill your 646 pounder.” Only Yesterday is compiled from the back-issue files of The Post. 60 Years Ago Jan. 12, 1945 THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF RATIONING IN U.S. Yesterday was the third anniversary of rationing in the United States. During the early part of that period the Back Mountain was served by Wyoming War, Price & Rationing Board but on October 1, 1942 Dallas War Price & Rationing Board was established to better serve the 12,000 persons within Dallas area. On a slow day, clerks at the local board office in the Oliver Building receive an aver- age of sixty telephoned inquiries and take care of 125 persons who visit the office in person with their rationing problems. Wayne Harrison, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Harrison of Carverton road, had the misfor- tune to fall while skiing last weekend and cut his leg. He was taken to Nesbitt Hospital. Thirteen stitches were required to close the wound. The great work being done by the International Red Cross for American war prisoners was enthusiastically praised this week by S/Sgt. Paul F. Nulton Jr, a German prisoner of war since late last May, in two cards and a letter to his mother, Mrs. Paul F. Nulton Sr. of Beaumont. 50 Years Ago Jan. 7, 1955 MEASLES EPIDEMIC HITS LEHMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL An epidemic of measles at Lehman-Jackson-Ross elemen- tary school has mounted steadi- ly since school opened after the Christmas holidays, until 101 were reported ill Wednesday. Mrs. A.B. Simms, school nurse, reports that the epidemic is confined in the main to the first three grades. Ray Henney, Kunkle, instruc- tor of Vocational Agriculture at the Elk-Lake Joint high school, will see ten years of work at Rush crowned by a top honor for one of his students when Eldred Hitchcock receives the State Star Dairy Farmer’s Degree at the Farm Show next week. Kunkle Motors advertised “Volkswagen, America’s Fastest- Selling Small Car.” The ad went on: “Spells fine German crafts- manship, 30 and more miles per gallon. Needs no breaking- in. Needs no anti-freeze. Perfect for 2-car family.” 40 Years Ago Jan. 7, 1965 BOY RECOVERING FROM TOBOGGAN CRASH INTO WIRE Robert Stanton, 15, of Dallas, is improving at Nesbitt Hospital from severe throat injuries incurred in a toboggan accident on the Rice Farm Saturday night. Stanton and Samuel Zachary, 15, were coasting through a field and tried to steer through a hole in a stone wall, and did not see barbed wire there. Bobby was riding in the front and so he received the brunt of the injury. Philip Davenport Husband, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Husband, Shavertown, checked into the world Friday, Jan. 1 at 1:12 a.m. at Nesbitt Hospital, becoming the first baby born in wh the Wyoming Valley this year. ©’ ber | For the second consecutive week, a car struck a gas pump? in Dallas. This time, Mrs. Jean’ . Moledor, the school nurse at Lake-Lehman, lost control of” her car coming down Church” Street ‘and mowed down the! high-test pump at Al Wilkins i Atlantic station. A 30 Years Ago Editor’s Note: The Dallas Post was shut down abruptly after the Dec. 23, 1974 issue by its owner, Greenstreet News. A new owner resumed publica- tion Jan. 30, 1975, and “30; Years Ago” will return when we ; reach that date. ae 20 Years Ago Jan. 9, 1985 WILLIAMS SIBLINGS. EACH EARN TOP SCOUT HONORS + sh Elizabeth and Lee Williams. were presented with scoutings'’ highest awards during a Court” of Honor held in Walsh’) Auditorium at College: > Misericordia. Elizabeth was presented with the Girl Scout Gold Award and Lee receive theo Eagle Scout Award. iT Hope Beisel was honored as’) Employee of the Year at Offsets Paperback Manufacturers. Ami employee since 1972, she hasél held a variety of positions, from A shipping to accounting and her present job as executive secre:’| tary/administrative assistant. 8 Robert Mines was putting ing ¥ finishing touches on a new loca- tion for Minotti’s Sub Shop, i the 309-415 Plaza. The sh will move from Main Street soi that more parking is available for customers. uT
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers