PAGE 4 EDITORIAL Sunday, February 24, 2008 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Writer cites actions of local policeman Dear Editor: I would like to bring attention to the fine men and woman pro- tecting us day and night in our communities - police officers and firefighters. Without them, where would we be and what would our communities be like without them? With many cities, boroughs and townships in tight budget cri- ses is it the right decision to look at cutting or eliminating police and fire services? Our police offi- cers and firefighters are the cheapest form of insurance we have as residents. We can never have enough police officers and firefighters protecting our com- munities. Crime statistics are at an all- time high in our neighborhoods. Criminals outnumber the police officers by staggering numbers and notice how many crimes and fires have ended in fatalities in our area recently. This brings me to the heroism displayed last week by Edwards- ville Police Officer Dan Lewis. I cannot imagine the thought of being awakened from a deep sleep by a police officer trying to gain entry to my home to alert me and my family tliat the house is on fire. If not for the quick thinking and unselfish heroism displayed by Officer Lewis, a fam- ily may not be here today to re- flect on this. I have always known Officer Lewis as “Dan the Man” for the way he displays his dedicated professional manner with every situation he encounters. Calling him a hero is something he has now earned and deserves. Officer Lewis is just one of many fine examples of the dedi- cated professionals who protect our communities and neighbor- hoods day and night. Ask your- self the question- what would you and your family do without these valuable and possibly lifesaving services? John Jay Wilkes Jr. Jackson Township MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel ® On Feb. 27,1827, students dance through the streets of New Orleans, marking the beginning of the city's famous Mardi Gras cele- brations. The students, inspired by their experiences in Paris, donned masks and jester costumes and staged their own Fat Tuesday festiv- ities. ® On Feb. 25,1890, Vlacheslav Skryabin, foreign minister for the Soviet Union who took the revolutionary name Molotov, is born in Russia. An advocate of Marxist revolution, he promoted the practice of throwing bottles filled with flammable liquid at the enemy, and the famous “Molotov cocktail” was born. * On March 2,1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, author of such children’s books as “The Cat in the Hat,” is born in Springfield, Mass. Geisel’s first book, “And to Think That | Saw It on Mulberry Street,” was rejected by more than two dozen publish- ers before making it into print in 1937. ® On Feb. 29,1928, director and screenwriter William DeMille, brother of director Cecil B. DeMille, hires Beth Brown to write jokes for the film “Tenth Avenue.” Brown was the first woman on record to work as a Hollywood comedy writer. * On March 1,196, President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps, which would send American men and women to foreign nations to assist in development efforts. Since 1961, more than 180,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps, serving in 134 na- tions. ® On Feb. 26,1972, a dam collapses in West Virginia, flooding the Buffalo Creek Valley and killing 118 people. The collapse unleashed a 20-foot wall of water that roared through 17 towns, leaving 4,000 people homeless. ® On Feb. 28,1983, “M*A*S*H,” the cynical situation comedy about doctors behind the front lines during the Korean War, airs its final episode after 1 seasons. The last episode drew 77 percent of the television viewing audience, the largest audience ever to watch a single TV show up to that time. STRANGE BUT TRUE By Samantha Weaver * Those who study such things say that baboons can only throw underhanded, never overhand. * |t was British playwright Oscar Wilde who made the following sage observation: “Only the shallow know themselves.” ¢ Baseball is the national pastime, and even those you might not immediately think of as sports fans can get caught up in the ex- citement. Take composers, for instance - they're generally thought of as a rather stuffy lot, right? Well famed composer John Philip Sousa was an avid fan. In fact, at the request of Judge Kenesaw Mountain, major-league baseball's first high commissioner, Sousa composed the march “The National Game” in 1925. e Are you a turophile? | certainly am! “Turophile” is just a fancy way of saying “cheese-lover.” e Weddings are universal. In all countries and cultures, all over the world, there is a ritual of joining people together in a lifelong bond. Of course, they don't always do it in exactly the same way. In India, for instance, as a part of the Hindu marriage ceremony the parents of the bride wash the bride and groom's feet with milk and water. Seems like an odd way to start out a relationship with your new son-in-law. * Most people are aware of the fact that scorpions have eight legs, but you probably didn't realize that they also have eight eyes. * Those who study such things say that India was once an is- land. It was some years ago, of course -- about 50 million years ago. Thought for the Day: “The main dangers in this life are the peo- ple who want to change everything -- or nothing.” -- Nancy Astor Richard L. Connor PUBLISHER 829-7202 rconnor@timesleader.com The Dallas Post Community Newspaper Group THE TIMES LEADER 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18711 ® 570-970-7440 news@mydallaspost.com Christie Delicati ADVERTISING 970-7111 cdelicati@timesleader.com Dotty Martin EDITOR 970-7440 dmartin@mydallaspost.com MAN & BEAST Miniature dachshunds, Pen- ny and Oliver, take a snooze in this photo. The dogs and their owner, Erin Warner, reside in South Carolina and Warner brings her “babies” to Pennsyl- vania a few times a year to visit their “grandparents,” Robert and Jan Warner who live in Sweet Valley. know about it. event we have questions. stamped envelope. We'll publish the pictures in the order in which we receive them. SHARE YOUR PET PICTURES WITH OUR READERS Who's your best friend? If your very best friend in the whole wide world is your pet, we want to 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 Send everything to "Man and Beast," c/o The Dallas Post, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 1871 or e-mail the picture to us at news@mydallaspost.com. If you send a picture and would like to have it returned, be sure to include a self-addressed/ ee) Things to do while counting down winters last days Snowy skies are becoming a little sunnier, icy patches are melting into puddles and, hopefully, that means that we are all ventur- ing out of our winter hibernation. The Back Mountain Memorial Library has the follow- ing few ideas to consider while counting down these last days of winter. Teens, of course, will begin to need a little more spending money as springtime means parties, proms and upcoming field trips. One way parents can help them (other than just ting jobs. handing over their wallets!) is to encourage them to prepare for a first job. With this in mind, the library is offering an American Red Cross Babysitter’s Training class which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the library. Auction donations being accepted Also, don’t forget that the library has al- ready begun requesting donations for our Annual Back Mountain Memorial Library New Goods and Antique Auction, which will Any pre-teen or teenager between the ag- es of 11 and 15 is encouraged to attend this one-day class. The training will enable fu- ture babysitters to learn essential care-giv- ing and decision-making skills and increase knowledge of safety skills to prevent and re- spond to emergencies. The class also offer tips on finding and interviewing for babysit- The cost of the program is $40 and is due at the time of registration. items. be held on July 10, 11, 12 and 13. The follow- ing items are of special interest: Antiques, vintage jewelry, collectibles including porce- lain, glassware and figurines, and household Seeking slightly read books We are also accepting donations of slight- ly read books, which may be dropped off at the library during our regular hours. Howev- er, we are not able to accept encyclopedias, textbooks or Reader’s Digest Condensed 675-1182. versions of novels. All books should be clean and free from dust and mold. For more information, call the library at 20 YEARS AGO Dallas Borough at its meeting last week named Patrolman Jack Fowler acting police chief of the borough to fill the position left vacant by the death of former po- lice chief Edward Lyons. Fowler, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Fowler, Sr. of Dallas, has been a member of the borough police de- partment for the past 15 years. He graduated from Dal- las Senior High School and at- tended Luzerne County Com- munity College for courses in Criminal Justice as well as vari- ous seminars in police work on a regular basis. A veteran Luzerne County businessman and community leader, Leonard Falcone, has an- nounced his candidacy for the position of delegate to the Re- publican National Convention. Falcone, a resident of Kingston Township and executive vice president and sales manager of the Falcone Beverage Company, is seeking the post as one who will be committed to Vice Presi- dent George Bush, currently staging a leading battle for the Republican nomination for pres- ident. Miss Theresa Dresslar, daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Dress- lar, Dallas, has been selected as an entrant in the 1989 Miss Pennsylvania USA Pageant to be held March 5 and 6, 1988. There- sa, who was selected as an en- trant at-large, will be competing with girls from all over the state for the title of Miss Pennsylvania USA. She is a graduate of Dallas Senior High School Cass 0f 1987, and is now a student at Pennsyl- vania State University, Wilkes- Barre campus, where she is ma- joring in engineering. ONLY YESTERDAY 30 YEARS AGO Members of the Dallas Fire and Ambulance Auxiliary who work throughout t he year to as- sist the community’s firemen and ambulance members met re- cently to plan fund raising pro- jects for equipment. Members are: Sandy Seehan, Blodwen Shaffer, Resia Carroll, Edith Shaffer, Janette Grieves, Evelyn Kenealy, Mary Wright and Karen Spudis. For the second time in recent weeks, a Memorial Highway ser- vice station owned by John Gor- da was reported robbed by an armed intruder who forced the attendant, Matthew Shaver, to hand over cash to him. Kingston Township Police Sgt. William Pugh and Patrolman John T. Ap- pel were told by Shaver that at about 10:30 ON Thursday eve- ning a man entered carrying a hunting knife and forced Shaver to turn over $61 cash from his pocket, fleeing on foot south along Route 309. Members of the Dallas United Methodist Church began their mile of pennies at a wishing well. They are collecting the monies to assist Wesley Village, a Meth- odist retirement community. Participants in the project in- clude Gregg Roman, Scott Com- mon, Scott Jobson, Paul Jobson, Bruce Common, Joey Maniskas, Marjorie Myers, Elaine Kapson, Ellen Kapson, Linda Akers, Doug Roman, Bob Stair, Nancy Fitch, Georgia Dombek and Dawn Campbell. 40 YEARS AGO Lake-Lehman High School wrestlers won the Thomas Long- more Trophy by defeating Dallas for the second year in a row. Kent Jones is captain of the Lake-Leh- man matmen. Sally Myers, a senior at Dallas Senior High School, won first place in a recent contest spon- sored by the Dallas Senior Wom- an’s Club. Myers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Myers of West Elmcrest Drive, Dallas, will enter her painting in the Na- tional Hallmark Scholarship Art Contest in Allentown. Mrs. Joseph Ruotolo, Harvey’s Lake, is co-chairman of the Twenty-Ninth Annual Laetere Concert of Saint Ann’s Academy Orchestra. Her two daughters, Carole and Sharon, are included on the programs to be held in Irem Temple, Wilkes-Barre, Sun- day night. Carole, a sophomore at Saint Ann’s plays violin and pi- ano. Sharon, a sixth grade stu- dent, plays the clarinet and pi- ano. 50 YEARS AGO Richard Hogoboom, Trucks- ville, has been named chairman of the 1958 Easter Seals cam- paign for Wyoming Valley Crip- pled Children’s Association, ac- cording to an announcement by Robert E. Pickup, president of the Association. Back Mountain residents stayed off the highway, heeding the warnings of State Police and the Wyoming Valley Motor Club that roads were almost impassa- ble in this area, and completely blocked in other sections. Folks who blithely ignored the warn- ings regretted it later. The storm started Saturday afternoon and continued all night, dumping a foot more snow to add to the fourteen inches of a week earlier. At the Himmler Theatre, Dal- las, Ann Blyth and Paul Newman were featured in “The Helen Morgan Story.” 60 YEARS AGO With newly elected officers presiding, the Executive Board of Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary met Tuesday night and heard Henry Peterson report that the Association now has a cash balance of $6,440.25. A part of this, possibly $2,000, will be invested as an endowment fund to ensure the permanent exist- ence of the library and to help tide it over any future contingen- cies. Movies playing at the Shaver Theater, Shavertown, po | “Unfinished Dance” s / Margaret O’Brien and Danny Thomas; “That Brennan Girl” starring Mona Freeman and James Dunn; and “King of Wild Horses” starring Preston Foster, Bill Sheffield and Gail Patrick. Mrs. Bernard Shair will read, - “John Loves Mary” a hilarious comedy, at Irem Temple Coun- try Club this evening. The read- ing is second of a series of enter- tainments being offered by the Woman Golfers of the Club. Last Friday evening Professor Bug- bee gave a stimulating talk on current events. 70 YEARS AGO Although The Post occasion- ally hears of subscribers who have taken the paper since it was founded it encountered for the first time this week a man who helped to print the first issue. He is Joseph Bulford of Trucksville, who operated t he hand press up- on which No. 1, Vol. 1 of The Dal- las Post was printed in 1889. The Father and Son Banquet of the Trucksville MLE. Church was held in the church on Tues- day night with more than 100 men and boys in attendance. Mr. Haskins was the speaker repre- senting the fathers and Clarence Jones and William Griffith repre- sented the sons. The Junior Class of Kingston Township High School will pg duce “Red Hot Pepper,” a no farce comedy by Reby Edmond, in the high school auditorium on Wednesday night at 8. Miss Sophia Morris is coaching the thespians. Information for “Only Yester- day” is taken from past issues of The Dallas Post, which is 119 vears old. The information is printed here exactly as it ap- peared in the newspaper vears ago.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers