PAGE 4 EDITORIAL Sunday, January 25, 2009 MOMENTS IN TIME The History Channel e On Jan. 26, 1838, the first Prohibition law in U.S. history is passed in Tennessee, making it a misdemeanor to sell alcoholic bev- erages in taverns and stores. Despite an often vigorous effort, the federal government failed to prevent the large-scale distribution of alcoholic beverages and organized crime flourished. ¢ On Feb. 1,1893, Thomas Edison finishes the first movie studio on his property in West Orange, N.J. The studio, a frame cabin covered with black roofing paper, was built on a pivot so it could be turned to face the sunlight throughout the day. Edison spent $638 building the studio, which he called a “revolving photographic building.” ® On Jan. 27,1918, the first Tarzan film, “Tarzan of the Apes,” is released. The silent movie, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel, was the first in a long line of Tarzan productions. Olympic champion swimmer Johnny Weissmuller starred in 1l Tarzan movies from 1932 t0 1948. ® On Jan. 28,1959, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League sign Vince Lombardi to a five-year contract as the team's coach and general manager. In his first season, Lombardi guided the Packers to a 7-5 record and a third-place finish in the NFL's Western Conference. ® On Jan. 30,1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil-rights demonstrators are shot dead by British army paratroop- ers in an event that becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” In April 1972, the British government released a report exonerating British troops from any illegal actions during the protest. ® On Jan. 29,1980, the U.S. Postal Service issues a stamp honor- ing comedian W.C. Fields. On screen, Fields was a misanthrope who hated children and animals and fought bankers, landladies and the police. Friends reported that his stage presence reflected Fields’ true personality. ® On Jan. 31,1990, the Soviet Union's first McDonald's fast-food restaurant opens in Moscow. Throngs of people lined up to pay the equivalent of several days’ wages for Big Macs, shakes and French fries. SUBMITTED PHOTO Vanessa Ryan, 7, owns a shell collection that is on display during January at the Back Mountain Memorial Library. Most of Va- nessa’s shells are from the Dominican Republic, her mother’s native country. Vanessa is shown here with her her brother, Joey. SEASHELLS ON DISPLAY AT LIBRARY A collection of large, unique shells is on display during the month of January at the Back Mountain Memorial Library. The collection is owned by 7-year-old Vanessa Ryan, of Dallas. Va- nessa’s father, Joseph, got most of the shells from the Domin- ican Republic. Her mother, Elsie, is originally from the Dominican Republic and shares her enjoyment of the beach with her daughter. When asked which shell is her favorite, Vanessa said, “I love them all. When you put a big shell close to your ear, you'll hear the sound of the waves!” Vanessa and her brother, Joey, enjoy romping on the beach and playing with the sand. Vanessa is a second-grade student at Gate of Heaven School. STRANGE BUT TRUE By Samantha Weaver ¢ Herpetologists can tell you that of all the victims of rattlesnake bites, only about half of them actually hear the telltale rattle before being bitten. * |t was famed Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare who made the following sage observation: “Beauty is all very well at first sight; but whoever looks at it when it has been in the house three days?” : * The “Guinness Book of World Records” used to have a category for how many live goldfish a person could eat at once, but it was eliminated. Interestingly, the reason for the elimination had nothing to do with cruelty to animals, but rather had to do with the difficulty of preventing cheating. It seems that some would-be competitors were breeding smaller and smaller fish for consumption. * The word “alimony” is derived from the Latin word “alimonia,” which means “nourishment.” * Those who study such things say that the month in which you are most likely to be shot, strangled or poisoned is December. They don't seem to venture an opinion regarding why, however. * On average, British women are shorter than women in the Unit- ed States. * Who among us isn't familiar with the line, “Quoth the Raven, nevermore”? As virtually anyone who made it through middle-school English class can tell you, it's from Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem “The Raven.” Considering the ubiquitous nature of the work, though, you might be surprised to learn that Poe earned a grand total of $9 from the first publication of the poem. ® The brain of an ostrich is actually smaller than one of its eyes. o00 Thought for the day: “Bureaucrats write memoranda both because they appear to be busy when they are writing and because the me- mos, once written, immediately become proof that they were busy.” -- Charles Peters The Dallas Post www.mydallaspost.com Community Newspaper Group THE TIMES LEADER 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18711 ® 570-675-521 news@mydallaspost.com Dotty Martin EDITOR 970-7440 dmartin@mydallaspost.com Richard L. Connor PUBLISHER 829-7202 rconnor@timesleader.com Christie Delicati ADVERTISING 970-7111 cdelicati@timesleader.com THIS WEEK IN THE BACK MOUNTAIN A view looking south on Derhammer Hill Road in Beaumont makes for a beautiful winter photo. SHARE YOUR PICTURES WITH OUR READERS CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Do you have a photograph that is so awesome you'd like to share it with others? Have you been on a vacation and came back with not only unforgettable memories, but great photos? Do you have a great shot of your kids, of your pet, of your house? If you have a photograph that you think is worth sharing with other Dallas Post readers, send it to us and we'll publish it in our "This week in the Back Mountain" space. You can e-mail the photo, in JPEG format, to news@mydallaspost.com or mail it to us at The Dallas Post, 15 N. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 1871. 1989- 20 YEARS AGO Megan Hardisky, Lisa Daven- port and Victor Matthews, all students at Dallas Senior High School, will compete in the Dis- trict 9 Choral Festival and Com- petition in Honesdale February 25-27. Alisa Me- rolli, Shaver- town, has won first place in a statewide contest for her poem about child abuse. Miss Merolli is a sixth grade student at Gate of Heaven School in Dallas. Carolyn James and Julie Hess of Lake-Lehman and Sue Wells of Dallas have been named to the Sunday Independent All-Star Field Hockey team. YESTERDAY 1979 —- 30 YEARS AGO As part of its community ser- vice activities the Dallas Kiwa- nis Club is holding a Town Meet- ing at the Irem Temple Country Club ballroom on Wednesday. “Upon completion of the Cross- valley Expressway - Then What?” is the subject to be con- sidered by an authoritative panel being invited to the meeting by George Maculloch, chairman of the Citizens’ Services commit- tee. In view of the present accident frequency and frequent prob- lems of entering onto Route 309 experienced by local motorists, the concern is what to expect when a greater volume of traffic is to pass through this area in the future. Dallas Senior High School will be represented by seven stu- dents at the District 9 PM.E.A. Band Concert this weekend at Wilkes College Performing Arts Center. Each of the students took an individual audition at Montrose High School to qualify for this event. The band consists of 150 students from about 40 different high schools in north- eastern Pennsylvania. Students from Dallas partici- pating are: Cindy Steinkirschn- er, clarinet; William Morgan, oboe; Mona Sickler, alto clarin- et; Harry Davenport, French horn; Mark Miller, trumpet; Mi- chael Steinkirschner, trumpet; and Rob Robinson, tympani. At Hillside Farms Dairy Store, a half gallon of milk sold for 70 cents. 1969 — 40 YEARS AGO During the primary election last spring, voters approved pro- posed changes to the State Con- stitution, among them abolish- ment of a number of Justice of the Peace posts. Judge Bernard Brominski, Luzerne County Courts president-judge, ruled on a division for the new magist- erial districts setting up only two for the entire Back Mountain, whereas 17 justices are presently operating. ; One of the Back Mountain’s most promising and civic mind- ed young clergymen received the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Wilkes-Barre Jaycees on Saturday evening at their an- nual banquet held at Carousel Motel. Rev. Charles F. Gommer, Jr., pastor of Trucksville United Methodist Church became the Outstanding Young Man of Wyoming Valley for 1968. At local A& P Markets, four boxes of Kleenex 200 count tis- sues sold for 89 cents; a one pound fresh baked pumpkin pie was 49 cents; and four cans of white meat tuna sold for 99 cents. 1959 - 50 YEARS AGO A pen of fat 4-H Dorset lambs won first place at the Farm Show at Harrisburg. Ruthann Scott, whose father Marvin is shepherd at Hillside Farms, had as her Clo- verleaf 4-H project this year the raising of Dorset lambs. Ruth- ann, 13, is a commercial student at Dallas Junior High School. Dr. Lester Jordan's prize dah- lia seedling, Fascination, will be featured in the April issue of the American Home, on the news stand March 20. Dr. Jordan had a letter of congratulations from Theodore Weston, Garden Edi- tor of The American Home Wednesday morning, enclosing the medal for excellence and an- nouncing the coming article. Dr. Jordan was slated to re- ceive the medal in person at a dinner staged last Thursday night at the Park Sheraton Hotel by the American Dahlia Society, but was prevented from attend- ance by Rotary Club commit- ments. 1949 - 60 YEARS AGO Charles Gregory, who has been in the clothing business for the past 25 years, sold the entire stock of the store this week to a Scranton jobber. The store fix- tures were purchased by Joe Hand, who is planning construc- tion of an addition to his present store. Mr. Gregory said he would devote all his time to the barber shop he has maintained in the rear of the store Anderson Jerome, Hillside Farms’ nationally famous herd sire, took the grand champion- ship at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. Docile and good-natured, Anderson Jerome was a good trouper and the least of manager Heminway’s trou- bles during the showing. Another of Hillside’s short- horns, Red Beauty O’Spring- brook, won first prize as senior yearling heifer among the milk- ing shorthorns at the show. Movies playing at the Shaver Theater, Shavertown, included “Night Has 1000 Eyes” starring John Lund and Gail Russell; “The Paradise Case” starring Gregory Peck and Ann Todd; and “Return of Rin Tin Tin” star- ring Donald Woods and Claudia Drake.” : : [oN 4 ENC 1939 — 70 YEARS A Lee Tracy, Shavertown’s own movie star, left Sunday evening for Hollywood with his bride of last summer, Helen Thomas, af- ter a whirlwind two-day visit at the Pioneer Avenue home of his mother, Mrs. W.L. Tracy. When the Tracys, who are still honey- mooning, landed in New York late last week, Mrs. Tracy went to the big city to spend a few days with her son and daughter- in-law. The threesome arrived here Saturday morning = spent the weekend visiting ol friends in this section. Since Lee was due in Hollywood yesterday to begin work on a new picture for RKO, “What Is A Fixer?” the couple had to cut their visit short. Movies playing at the Himm- ler Theater in Dallas included “The Citadel” starring Rosalind Russell and Robert Donat; “Lis- ten, Darling” starring Freddie Bartholomew and Judy Garland; “Daredevil Drivers” starring Be- verly Roberts and Dick Purcell and “Broadway Musketeers” starring Margaret Lindsay. Information for “Only Yester- day” is taken from past issues of The Dallas Post, which is 120 vears old. The information is printed here exactly as it ap- peared in the newspaper vears ago. "WHAT “Raw cookie “Chili, ham “Chili, chicken dough.” and Navy bean | soup, meat- Laura Ziminski | SOUP, meat- loaf." Dallas loaf, pig-in-a- Candice Bittner more.” blanket and | can think of Ed Radzinski Dallas Dallas IS YOUR FAVORITE W —— “Steamed crabs, shrimp “Chili, chicken noodle soup, INTERTIME FOOD?" “Granola bars and something and any sea- | grilled to drink.” food, really.” cheese.” Ashley Arndt Lane Hogue Matt Fernandez Shaveriown Dallas Dallas
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers