PAGE4 THE POST EDITORIAL Sunday, November 18, 2007 VETERAN'S DAY Senator Lisa Baker advocates By Senator Lisa Baker For The Dallas Post My first 10 months in the Sen- ate have been very busy but also very productive and rewarding. As chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Prepared- ness Committee, I have been de- voting a great deal of time to leg- islation to help our veterans and active military personnel. Historically, Pennsylvanians have answered the call to defend freedom in astounding numbers. Currently, more than 1.5 million veterans — roughly 10 percent of the state’s population — call Penn- sylvania home. This represents one of the largest veterans’ pop- ulations in the nation and I am ex- tremely proud of these extraor- dinary men and women. I believe we have an obligation to all veterans to honor their ser- vice and contributions, both in peace and war. | have always been a steadfast supporter of veterans’ programs and organizations and, in my new role, I want to make sure we are doing all we can to meet the needs of the men and women who have given so much to our Commonwealth and our Country. That’s why I authored and in- troduced Senate Bill 915— which recently passed the Senate unani- mously — to improve veterans’ ou- treach and assistance throughout Pennsylvania. Now being considered by the House of Representatives, this initiative will provide financial assistance to nationally accredit- ed veteran service organizations such as the American Legion, AMVETS, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and the Disabled American Veterans. The program will be coordinat- ed by the Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Military and Veterans Af- fairs to enhance the numbers of veterans service officers available to help returning veterans deal with federal, state and local bene- fits claims processes. It will also require the department to mea- sure performance and program outcomes and, most importantly, for vets TIMES LEADER FILE PHOTO/ CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK Lisa Baker is the Pennsylvania State Senator for District 20. ensure the continual improve- ment of services to Pennsylva- nia’s veterans’ community. Senate Bill 915 is a tremendous starting point for improvement, but it is by no means an end. In order to best meet the needs of our veterans community, we will continue our work to enhance and better coordinate the contin- uum of services that exist across state, county and independent veterans’ programs so that veter- ans in need can get the proper supports to regain their mental, physical and economic health to reconnect with their families and communities and to resume pro- ductive lives. Of all the matters that come be- fore the General Assembly, few are as important as meeting the needs of those who risked their lives for their nation and return- ed home, or preserving the mem- ory of those who gave their lives and did not. It is an honor to serve as chair of the Senate Veter- ans Affairs and Emergency Prepa- redness Committee and I will continue to advance legislation and programs to better serve our veterans. Iwould like to thank those who are keeping the memories of ser- vice and sacrifice alive. We are grateful to gather as a free people in a free nation and to freely offer our respect to those who have demonstrated the most extraor- dinary form of duty and devotion. MOMENTS IN TIME | The History Channel * On Nov. 20, 1820, the American whaler Essex is attacked by an 80-ton sperm whale 2,000 miles from the western coast of South America. Herman Melville's classic novel “Moby-Dick"” (1851) was inspired in part by the story of the Essex. * On Nov. 19,1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery in Pennsylvania during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln deliv- ers one of the most memorable speeches in American history, the 272-word Gettysburg Address. ® On Nov. 23,1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published. Publisher Henry Luce meant for the magazine to provide a way for the American people “to see life; to see the world; to eye- witness great events.” * On Nov. 25,1947, film industry executives announce that 10 direc- tors, producers and actors who have refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and name others who allegedly belonged to the Communist Party, will be fired or suspend- ed. The "Hollywood Ten" were also jailed and fined for contempt of Congress. * On Nov. 22,1955, record company RCA announces that it has purchased the recording contract for Elvis Presley from Sun Records for $35,000 - a record sum at the time. Presley received a $5,000 advance, which he used to buy a pink Cadillac for his mother. ® On Nov. 24,1971, hijacker D.B. Cooper parachutes from a North- west Orient Airlines 727 with $200,000 in ransom money in his pos- session. In 1980, an 8-year-old boy found nearly $5,880 of the mon- ey along the Columbia River, 5 miles from Vancouver, Washington. Cooper's fate remains a mystery. * On Nov. 21,1980, 350 million people around the world tune in to television's popular primetime drama “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing. The new episode solved the mystery, identifying Kristin Shepard, J.R.'s sister-in-law and his former mistress, as the culprit. (c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc. Man & Beast Sheba Sheba is a 4-year-old golden retriever who lives with her owner in Dallas. Four years ago, Sheba’s owner (who wishes to remain anonymous) received a phone call, asking her if she wanted a 4-month-old golden retriever. She thought about it for about five minutes before leaving the house to pick up the dog. Today, Sheba is a sweetheart who usually sits either at or on her owner's feet. She is full of life and, according to her owner, a good companion for an old retired grandmother. Sheba is shown here with her “buddy” at holiday time. Share your pet pictures with other readers. Who's your best friend? If your very best friend in the whole wide world is your pet, we want to know about it. Send us a picture of your pet — whether it be a lovable puppy, a slimy iguana or a parrot with an extensive vocabulary — and we'll share it with readers of The Dallas Post. Tell us your name and address, your pet’s name, his or her age, his or her breed and anything else you'd like everyone to know about your pet. Be sure to include your telephone number in the event we have questions. Send everything to “Man and Beast,” ¢/o The Dallas Post, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 or e-mail the picture to us at news@mydal- laspost.com. Ifyou send a picture and would like to have it returned, be sure to include a self-addressed /stamped envelope. We'll publish the pictures in the order in which we receive them. One day left to buy place fruit, cake orders Our eyes may still be getting adjusted to the earlier onset of nightfall, but our thoughts are already on the upcoming holi- days, which means fun, friends and of course... food! With that in mind, there is still one more day to place your order at the Back Moun- tain Memorial Library for its annual Holiday Citrus Fruit/Cheesecake Sale. The Friends of the Library are once again sponsoring this sale, which includes delicious pineapples, juicy Florida navel oranges, Indian River red grapefruit or a sampler of both. Gourmet cheesecakes are also available. The deadline to place an order is Novem- ber 19 and all orders must be pre-paid. Deliv- ery times will be Friday, Dec. 7, and Satur- day, Dec. 8, however cheesecakes must be picked up on Friday, Dec. 7 in order to guar- antee quality. Entertainment books available The library also has answers for those hard-to-shop-for people on your holiday lists. We are once again selling the North- east Pennsylvania edition of Entertainment books, which includes discount coupons for area restaurants and businesses. The price of each book is only $20. Stop in soon before our limited supply is gone! Engraved brick makes great gift Another unique gift idea is to purchase an engraved brick in memory of or in honor of a special person. The cost of a brick is $100 and includes three lines of engraving. Names of family members or friends whom you wish to commemorate or honor on the brick will then be added to the walkway out- side the front entrance of the library. Order forms are available at the library. Library lists Thanksgiving hours But before you begin any shopping, slow down and take a break on the day we pause to count our blessings... Thanksgiving D which is Thursday, Nov. 22. The library will be closed on this day and will re-open on Friday, Nov. 23. for its usual hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Slightly Read Bookshop will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 21 and Saturday, Nov. 24. and will re-open on Monday, Nov. 26. Richard L. Connor PUBLISHER The Dallas Post TIMES® LEADER Community Newspaper Group 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18711 ® 570-970-7440 news@mydallaspost.com Matt Smith ADVERTISING Dotty Martin EDITOR 20 YEARS AGO Lake-Lehman High School re- cently celebrated its Homecom- ing. Prior to the game, the Homecoming Queen and her court, escorted by parents, were announced and honored. Kristin Reese, Huntsville, was crowned queen. Runners-up were Karen Crispell, Harvey’s Lake; and Dar- cy Kittle, Sweet Valley. The court also included Karen Ste- panski, Hunlock Creek; Stepha- nie Kukosky, Sweet Valley; Joanne Boyle, Dallas; and Ange- la Bonomo, YESTERDAY Saturday’s Old Show Game against Lake-Lehman. The Dallas team won the honor to retain possession of the Old Shoe trophy. Debbie Higgins, of Dallas, has been named editor of The Dallas Post. Higgins replaces Dotty Martin who has resigned from that position to begin a weekly newspaper in Kingston. Martin has served as editor of The Dal- las Post for 4 ¥2 years. 30 YEARS AGO Debbie Drake has been ap- pointed manager of the Dallas area office of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Wilkes-Barre. Miss Drake is a graduate of Dallas Senior High School. Becky Bestwick has been named to represent Dallas Se- nior High School in the Daugh- ters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Contest. Becky will compete with other stu- dents in the valley, chosen based on qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriot- ism, for the award. Books ‘N Things book and gift shop recently opened next to the Jeans Shop, off Harvey's Lake Memorial Highway, Dallas. Charles Reidlinger, librarian at College Misericordia for the past 11 years, is the owner of the new shop. The store will stock Nor- cross cards and gift wrappings. 40 YEARS AGO The Lake-Noxen Alumni As- sociation honored four of its teachers during American Edu- cation Week. Robert Belles, Jes- sica Thomas, Mildred Garinger and Florence Worth have served the Lake-Noxen schools for 25 years or more. Lake-Lehman’s prize winning high school band was invited this week to take part in the Cherry Blossom Festival next April in Washington, D.C. John Milauskas will direct. A delightful presentation, “Ja- nuary Thaw” was presented by the senior class of Dallas High School in the school auditorium. Edgar Hughes is directing the production assisted by M. Nov- icki and K. Woychik as student directors. 50 YEARS AGO Gate of Heaven school addi- tion will be dedicated Sunday af- ternoon, Most Reverend Jerome D. Hannan officiating. Rev. Ri- chard Frank will be master of ceremonies at the official dedica- tion of the auditorium. All Christmas trees and ever- green limbs cut from nearly 400,000 acres in parts of five counties must be inspected for the possible presence of gypsy moth egg masses prior to move- ment from the areas, according to the State Department of Agri- culture. The precautionary mea- sure is to prevent the spread of highly destructive gypsy moth caterpillars. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a grocery store in your own home, ready to serve you 24 hours a day every day of the year? It certainly would — partic- ularly during this busy season — and anyone can have such a “store,” with a chest or upright freezer. 60 YEARS AGO A power overload threw out a circuit breaker early Monday evening at Dallas sub-station of Luzerne County Gas and Elec- tric Corporation causing Dallas to be in darkness for three quar- ters of an hour. It was the second interruption of service within a week. Dallas Bakery opened its doors this week in the former Teen-Age building with Jim Sla- vin as owner and Lew Baron as the baker. The firm will conduct a general baking business and plans to have two or more trucks on the road. Dallas Senior Girl Scout Troop will sponsor a bazaar in which they will feature hand made luncheon sets, stuffed ani- mal toys and dozens of other ar- ticles suitable for holiday gifts. Proceeds will be used to buy uni- forms and to defray costs of sum- mer camping. Scout members are: Nancy Antrim, Elsie Aderes, Betty Berretini, June Colwell, , Dorothy Coyle, Nancy Carey, Claire Greising, Ruth Hyacox, Barbara Ide, Betty Jackson, Nan- cy Kraybille, Nancy Delbert, Jean DeRemer, Joan Kear, Eliza- beth McQuilkin, Anna Mae Shaf- er and Virginia Brunges. 70 YEARS AGO Apples from the orchards of Ira France and George Berlew of Dallas and Senator A.J. Sordoni of Harvey’s Lake were selected as among the five best exhibits at the Luzerne County Apple Show which is being held in conrly tion with the Food Show Wilkes-Barre Armory this week. Rising poultry prices in the pre-Thanksgiving markets are expected to be profitable for lo- cal poultrymen and housewives will probably find Old Man High Cost of Living a silent guest at the Thanksgiving feast. In the past few years, turkey prices have been so low many growers lost heavily and were forced out of business. The de- crease in the number of turkey farms is one explanation for the scarcity which will send prices up this year. A number of cases of mild scarlet fever have been reported through this section, mostly in Dallas and Kingston Township, and school authorities are taking steps to protect pupils. Information for “Only Yester- day” is taken from past issues of The Dallas Post, which is 118 vears old. The information is printed here exactly as it peared in the newspaper ve ago.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers