PAGE 4 EDITORIAL Sunday, March 8, 2009 ‘Mark Twain’ to visit Back Mountain Memorial Library If you have been searching for some mid-winter adventures (be- sides shoveling snow and waiting for that first robin of spring to ap- pear), the Back Mountain Memo- rial Library has a solution for you! “An Evening with Mark Twain,” a free, historic storytell- ing program for all ages will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, at the library. Our Mark Twain storyteller, Mr. Charles Kiernan, is actually a member of and coordinator of the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild and the Pennsylvania State Liais- on National Storytelling Net- work. He is also the winner of the 2008 Individual Artist Award of the Bethlehem Fine Arts Com- mission. Mr. Kiernan, (alias Twain) will regale the masses with witty tales and lively anecdotes about his boyhood adventures, the newspa- per business, frogs and especially his life on the Mississippi River. The intent of the show is to give the audience a bit of Twain’s biog- raphy, his humor and his view- point. “Twain” feels compelled to share with the audience some of his personal history and his con- clusions as to his evolving view on what is man! It’s the journey to the conclusion that is the fun! Questions and answers and light refreshments will follow the program. Pre-registration is required and may be done by calling the li- brary at 675-1182. Check attics, basements for auction treasures Another “adventure” that you may feel up to during this time of year may also help benefit your local library. Venturing into our attics and basements may not be the kind of treasure hunt fun you're looking for; however, once you start searching, you never know what you will find. The various committees of our Back Mountain Memorial Li- brary Auction would appreciate any items that you may care to donate for sale at the auction. They are particularly interest- ed in the following items: an- tiques (furniture, glassware, lamps, dishes) smaller pieces of furniture for the furniture tent, baskets, ethnic designed eggs, tin candy container eggs, jewelry, toys from the 50’ and 60’s and sports cards. Apothecary jars and domed cake plates are also need- ed for the bakery/candy booth. Also, don’t forget our New Goods Committee is always hap- py to accept donations of new items from area businesses or even brand-new items that you may have in your homes. Please call the library at 675- 1182 if you have any questions. THIS WEEK IN THE BACK MOUNTAIN SUBMITTED PHOTO Deno Pantelakos, of Idlewood Drive in Dallas, took this photo at Ricketts Glenn State Park. He calls it “The Crossing” and claims it's his last winter entry because he's sure we've all had enough of this long, cold winter. SHARE YOUR PICTURES WITH OUR READERS Do you have a photograph that is so awesome that you'd like to share it with others? Have you been on vacation and came back with net 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 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 18711. Misericordia alum disagrees with bishop on the university Dear Editor: As an alumnus of Misericordia, I can testify that my time there solidified my Catholic faith and provided me with an excellent education. I am deeply saddened by Bishop Martino’s public state- ments against Misericordia, in- cluding his calls to close the Di- versity Institute and drastically limit academic freedoms at the university. Bishop Martino is insisting that Misericordia demonstrate its efforts to teach students Ca- tholic morality and sexuality. This is not Misericordia’s job. If Misericordia’s Catholic stu- dents are not aware of the church’s positions on all things moral by the time they reach col- lege age, then their parents and church have failed. Misericordia is an institution of higher learn- ing. Its job is to provide students and faculty with a forum for free thought where scholarly discus- sion is encouraged. Otherwise, it is not offering education, it is of- fering indoctrination. As Bishop Martino attempts to stamp out any and all people and viewpoints opposing his, let’s ask ourselves where it will end. Will he next call for gay faculty at Mi- sericordia to be fired since they are setting an example antithet- ical to church teachings? (Maybe they can just parade around cam- pus with Satan painted on their shirts so the university can be sure it is adequately instructing the students in the church’s posi- tion on homosexuality). What if he has professors hired not on the basis of their intelli- gence and experience, but in- stead on their alignment with his positions? What if he chooses to remove from the curriculum any subject matter that he might con- sider against church doctrine? We should all be afraid of where the bishop is headed. Mar- tino is primed to squash acade- mia at Misericordia. Kristina R. Dorkoski Kingston, PA STRANGE BUT TRUE By Samantha Weaver * Statistics show that, for every 71,000 skydiving jumps made, there is only one fatality. That might not seem surprising until you put it in context: You have a one in 20,000 chance of dying from a regular fall right here on solid ground. ¢ |f someone were to ask you to name the sunniest spot on Earth, you might be tempted to answer “the Sahara Desert” or some other such exotic place. You would be wrong, though; that distinction be- longs to a town right here in America. Out of the possible 4,456 daylight hours each year, the sun shines for an average of 4,050 in Yuma, Ariz. That means that there's cloud cover or rain for only about 10 percent of the time there. * Floridians are, unfortunately, familiar with large cockroaches, sometimes called palmetto bugs down South. While the bugs may inspire disgust, however, we should be glad we don't have to deal with their Paleozoic-era ancestors. Those who study such things say that cockroaches back then were the size of today’s house cats. * During the 19th century, first lady Lucy Hayes, wife of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president of the United States, was widely known as “Lemonade Lucy.” It seems she was an ardent supporter of tem- perance and therefore didn't allow alcohol to be served in the White House during her husband's four years in office. oe Thought for the day: “Whatever a man prays for, he prays for a miracle. Every prayer reduces itself to this: Great God, grant that twice two be not four.” - Ivan Turgenev Richard L. Connor PUBLISHER 829-7202 rconnor@timesleader.com 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 Christie Delicati ADVERTISING 970-7111 cdelicati@timesleader.com Dotty Martin EDITOR 970-7440 dmartin@mydallaspost.com Qy 1989- 20 YEARS AGO Andrew Merrill, son of Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Merrill, Shaver- town, a senior at Wyoming Semi- nary College Preparatory School, Kingston, has recently been notified that he has been named a finalist in the 1989 Na- : tional Merit Scholarship Competi- tion. In addi- tion to his National Merritt per- formance Merrill is a Dean’s List student and has been elected to the school's Cum Laude Society. Joe Pagliante, owner of Joe’s Grotto Pizza, Harvey's Lake, plans to be open in early May to serve his many customers in the area. “Im getting anxious to open and serve the many individuals in the area who have patronized our pizza business over the past 40 years,” Pagliante said recent- ly, as workers started on con- struction at the site at Sunset, Harvey’s Lake. The debris left by the fire which destroyed Joe’s Grotto Pizza this past summer has been cleared away and con- struction workers are laying the foundation for a satellite kitch- en. Paul LaBar, mayor of Dallas, in conjunction with the Northeast- ern Pennsylvania Optometric Society, has issued a proclama- tion naming March 5 to 11 as Save Your Vision Week. Mayor LaBar urges the citizens of Dal- las and the Back Mountain to consider the value of good vi- sion. He advises them to observe this period by giving special at- tention to their eye care needs. YESTERDAY 1979 - 30 YEARS AGO Gas supply ‘tight,’ local deal- ers report No, the Wyoming Valley area is not in a state of war or siege, with necessities being rationed or in short supply and prices soaring out of sight as the enemy closes in. But it might as well be, for, according to good sources supplies of gasoline and heating oil are adequate for the immedi- ate future only, and prices can be counted on to rise steadily for as far as anyone can see, The following new members were inducted into the Back Mountain Kiwanis Club at its third annual breakfast last week: Pete George, Eric Weber and Da- vid Scott. The Harvey’s Lake Lions re- cently honored their past presi- dents and charter members at a dinner at the Harvey’s Lake Ho- tel. Cochairmen of the dinner were Lion Richard Williams Sr. and Lion Robert Pilger. Among those honored were: Calvin McHose, Bill Zimniski, Wesley Boyle, Lee Bicking, Carl Schrein- er, Ron Ritts, Wilfred Ide, Ri- chard Williams, Arnold Garin- ger, Michael Casey, Tom Smith and Frank Bialogowicz. 1969 — 40 YEARS AGO Miss Susan Moore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Moore, Dallas, has been crowned the 1969 Winter Weekend Queen at Syracuse University. She is a sophomore in the School of Art and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Harvey’s Lake Borough Coun- cil, after receiving a ruling from the Department of Forests and Waters and the Power Resources Board, passed an ordinance last week setting forth regulations controlling ice fishing at the re- sort area. Ice fishermen will have to pay a $2 license fee for setting up a shelter and each will bear a number visible from the nearest highway. All shelters must be constructed of durable materi- als, excluding cardboard, which has caused much distress among residents this season. All such huts must be re- moved by 6 p.m. on March 15 or those responsible will be fined $10 and costs or serve not more than 30 days in jail if they fail to do so. Pat Baleta, Shirley Evans, Ju- dy Valick and Marcy Millers were winners of the sewing con- test sponsored by the Harvey’s Lake Woman’s Club. Miss Baleta went to the northeast regional contest in Bangor and won an- other first. 1959 —- 50 YEARS AGO Back Mountain Protective As- sociation’s community award goes to former State Senator An- drew J. Sordoni of Harvey’s Lake and Wilkes-Barre. Names of a large number of prominent men were scrutinized, but the com- mittee felt that the contribution of Senator Sordoni to the area over a period of years out- weighed other claims. Dallas Safety Council of West- moreland High School present- ed its Safe Pedestrian Awards to area school children Friday. Win- ners are: Eliza Berge, Alan Brown, David Wayde, Sally Walk, Earl Evans, Sally Schenk, Paula Richards, Karen Long, Mark Matthews, Edward Doyne, Cheryl Stanley and Daniel Par- sons. 1949 - 60 YEARS AGO A Picturesque Frolic featuring musical numbers and interest- ing scenes from nineteen differ- ent counties will be presented by Dallas Senior and Junior Wom- an’s Clubs in April in Dallas High School auditorium. Planning committee members include: Mrs. Joseph Schmerer, Mrs. Alan Montross, Miss Kay O’Boyle, Mrs. John Girvan, Miss Janine Sawyer, Mrs. Leonard Harvey, Mrs. Harold Elston, Mrs. Robert Dolbear, Mrs. Hor- don Edwards, Mrs. Sherman Harter, Mrs. Muriel Garinger, Mrs. Robert Williams, Mrs. Roy- mane Oney, Mrs. William Deib- ert, Mrs. Sam Margillina, Mrs. Howard Yeager, Mrs. Wilson Maury, Mrs. Wilbur Davies and Mrs. Norman Patton. A telephone call by Ira Van Or- den brought Jackson’s high pres- sure fog fire truck, driven by Ha- rold Bertram, assistant fire chief, to the scene of the fire in less than three minutes. It was the Jackson company’s first re- sponse to a fire call. A brush fire started by Mr. Van Orden got out of control and threatened Harold Palmer’s resi- dence and buildings. There was no damage done by the fire. Movies playing at the Shaver Theater, Shavertown, included “River Lady” starring Yvonne DeCarlo and Dan Druyea and “Letter From An Unknown Woman” starring Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdan. At the Himmler Theater, Dallas, Gary Cooper and Ann Sheridan were featured in “Good Sam.” 1939 — 70 YEARS AGO Automobile traffic through Luzerne will be confined to Main and Bennett Streets when Union Street is closed to travel Wednesday or Thursday for the construction of the first leg of the Luzerne By-Pass. Laborers on the by-pass, in- creased from 25 to 40 last week, will number 100 when the exca- vation of Union Street is begun. The ailing school bell at Leh- man Township High School has been suffering from interior inju- ries for the last 20 years, it was disclosed this week. Millard Stair, janitor of the school, who climbed to the bell chamber atop the roof Tuesday afternoon to re- pair a broken rope, discovered why the bell had thumped vaguely instead of clanging for all these years. “The clapper,” claimed Stair, “is in wrong. Instead of swinging with the movement of the bell, it swings across ways.” An offer by School Board Sec- retary C.ETerry, former music teacher, who knows about tones, to fix the bell was rejected by Mr. Stair. Foul play somewhere is suspected. Movies playing at the Himm- ler Theater in Dallas included “The Chaser” starring Lewis Stone; “Thanks For Everything” starring Jack Oakie; “Up The River” starring Preston Foster; and “The Cowboy and the Lady” starring Gary Cooper. Information for “Only Yester- day” is taken from past issues of The Dallas Post, which is 120 vears old. The formation is printed here exactly as i ap- peared in the newspaper vears ago. “WHAT ARE YOU pro “Work outside “Spend more GOING TO DO WITH AN EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT?" “Work more the house time outside on my taxider- more." with the kids.” | my.” Tammy Jenkins Chris Mathers Lance Wren Dallas Trucksville Dallas “I'll have more “I'll watch my “I might just time to do tax | husband do sleep through returns.” the yard it." Scott Jenkins | WOTK." Danielle Reinard Dallas Dallas Sheryl Phillips Center Moreland »
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers