New Castle News from New Castle, Pennsylvania • Page 4

NEWCASTLE NEWS, MONDAY, JUNE UN the nice pres. boxes moil football fields sport today. In his day, he said, he'd be light down on the field behind the back to cover the game and in rainy weather he could have been mistaken for a player after the mud got splashed around. Like the others on staff, Bugs consoled reporters who were impatiently seeking out a PuBrMr-winniiig story the first day they were on staff THAT WAS the (earn for many years at The News plus an assortment reporters. The tales which could be told about (Item would fill a book and perhaps that book will be written someday.

Until that day, it remains conversation around the office in between stories and deadlines. Maybe, even, until the truth is misshapen into myths after being retold over the years. Leo Kolas butt AS WE SIT around the pot-bellied stove in the office recalling ineedotal happenings, we can't help but remember some of the oldtimen who preceded u. Sometimes we have to envy them, for although newspapering has always been an exciting way to make a living theirs seems to us to have been a lite ot ease compared with ours. Just witness what the complexity of the world today has done to your lite.

The oldtimer had his share of murders, fires, government, and auto accidents once that thine got going faster. Today, we have alt that plus a world, a nation, and a state as well as local happenings producing news faster and more diverse than ever. WE REIT ALL, for example, the story the late editor George W. Conway told many times of how he would ride the trolleys around town gathering choice tidbits of news and later return to the editorial room to submit his pencilled notes right to the composing room. We can imagine what some of the guys in the composing room would say today all unprintable if they were handed a bunch of reporter's notes to set into type.

OR. THERE WAS Charlie Allen who doubled in brass for part of his career as a newspaperman by also serving as county coroner. As a cub reporter years ago I had taken several rides around the county with Charlie who would casually point out with gory details the several cases he worked on as coroner, it was convenient those days when Charlie not only investigated auto fatalities as coruner but also wrote up the story the next day for The News. Charlie still drops into the office for a chat with the young oldtimers and the new reporters who have since joined our staff. And, true to the expression that printer's ink gets in your blood, Charlie is apt to offer a couple of tips to newsstories which we have overlooked.

SPORTS EDITORS are as colorful as the sports figures they cover although I'm sure Bob Vosburg would argue with me about that. The Newt sports editor of long standing, the late Ed Friti, certainly would rate among those colorful sports pundits of old. Ed would think nothing of wearing a checkered green sport shirt and a flashy yellow tie and perhaps a pair of blue socks as accessory to tan suit. Ed worked the sport pages when space for stories was hard to come by and his favorite expression was, "Keep the story short. Bub, and I'll give it a big head." Later in his career as his eyesight was failing.

Ed was huddled beside a gooseneck lamp with his green eyeshade on his forehead turning out copy with the best of the young ones. He told tall tales about the boxing greats be knew and the old Jolly Bowl in New Cattle. Ed was a compassionate, gentle fellow when it came to advising new reporters on staff and his encouragements helped many over the tough months early in their careers. unexciting about a wedding and in some cases even his own. And, most lawn parties havea certain ingredient missing.

BART RICHARDS, editor emeritus of The News, enjoyed beintf a newspaperman to the fullest extent. And though he might not like the comparison he chaperoned new reporters around town like a mother hen. But, that wasn't bad since the new reporter learned the city and its people fast. Even today in retirement Bart's quick to go up to a new reporter with bits of advice and a few leads only he could ferret out. Retirement for Bart has been just more of the same since he now has the time to author a few histories of the county.

THE LATE "Bugs" Walther, who for many years was a sports reporter and then wire editor, would recite his experiences covering games, He'd chuckle over ON THE WOMAN'S side there was former society editor Beulah Huthrauff who could try a harassed, impatient city editor's cool with her requests for society photos in the crisis atmosphere of the morning. However, she carried the burden of satisfying all the engaged girls, brides, tea party arrangements committee chairman, flower show promoters and others and it's a mystery how she did, Of course, that may be the reason few men are society editors they couldn't take it. To a man, there is something rotnt THINGS JUST SEEM to be worse than they used to be. In realty, they're much better, in almost every area of our national life. It's just the rate of change that dizzies and frightens us.

When 1 began writing this column, more than 25 years ago, the U.S. was mentally asleep, morally stunted, and emotionally constipated. We were a passive, dully accepting citizenry, corny and credulous almost beyond belief. In the intervening quarter-century, we have grown up enormously and, of course, we have experienced the growing-pains that accompany the trip through adolescence. But we shouldn't confuse the process with the state.

Today, as a nation, we are far more sophisticated, knowledgeable, concerned, oriented toward action, aware of power structures and processes, less vulnerable to being pushed around by self-serving interests. If that isn't growth and betterment, I don't know what is. WE ARE QUESTIONING all the old verities, which is the beginning of wisdom (but not, as so many young people seem to think, the end of it); and we are learning that a small and dedicated group can make a big difference in communities, churches, and colleges. These are good days to be lived in, not bad ones, and I nave little sympathy with people my age who yearn nostalgically for the time of our youth. We were trivial and uninformed, smug and unconcerned, while the great elemental forces of change were building up enormous charges of revolutionary electricity in the social atmosphere.

ONE NEED NOT approve everything that is going on today for all change breeds its own excesses and perversions to appreciate that the motive-power behind all this churning activity is the desire to lead a fuller life, to be more the master of one's own fate, to reject authority that is not based on the realities of humanhood, to make true "individualism" an essential part of the whole social fabric, and not just a slogan of the market-place. For we are going through a revolution as" far-reaching and important as the first American Revolution not in the 18th Century sense of changing our rulers, but in the 20th Century sense of changing the rules. We don't like the ball game, which has come to belong to the managers and umpires and associations more than to the players (and it is no accident, hy the way, that baseball players have become organized and dissident in a manner no one could have predicted a quarter-century ago). What hurts today is the radical surgery we are calling for; but if it cuts out the old malignancies, without killing the patient, hurrah Sydney J. Harris "SIiBmLW.

sJi aflLLI marks the spot usually marks the spot of a tragedy. It's one way to show the reader the site of the accident. News photographer Dave Ford found the spot of the auto accident in which six died marked in a dramatic fashion a tot's shoe apparently torn from his foot in the violence of the collision. We hope his photograph published on this page remains a stark reminder to motorists that recklessness behind the steering wheel coupled with speed makes a motorist a potential killer. HERE WERE two families returning home from an evening ride to a roadside ice cream stand.

How many times have you and your family been on the same kind of pleasant trip? Here were two families moments before the impact of steel smashed against flesh no doubt joking, laughing and enjoying themselves. And then, the terrible crunch followed by bodies flying through the windshield and through doors exploded open by the impact. Here were two families practically wiped out. THE WHOLE THING was senseless and unnecessary the result of a speeding driver who, police believe, was traveling faster than the 75 miles an hour that witnesses estimated. And the victims were two innocent families.

People who have talked about the accident are horrified and angered by the recklessness of the driver and sympathetic to the survivors of both families. None of this will help except, perhaps, to serve as a reminder to all of us to drive carefully. To the young drivers who themselves have raced over country roads this tragedy is a warning. Will they heed it? Will they choose to become killers behind the wheel? IT MAY BE all drivers should be periodically shown one ol the films depicting the slaughter which occurs on our highways and streets. We viewed such a film and the scenes were brutally revolting in their shock value.

It may help. It may be the time has arrived for oral and driving tests to be augmented by psychiatric examinations as well. The theory has been proposed that the driver uses his vehicle to vent his aggressions. Certainly, just plain courtesy on the road and an awareness of what happens when safety factors are abused is the easiest way to prevent accidents. It would have taken just this the other day and a child's tennis shoe would not have marked the spot of that tragedy.

Resignations in Child Welfare Department, commissioners' action of grave concern vital problem. The mandated concern of this agency is children, the children of our county. These children eventually become adults For many of the hundreds of children who have contact with this ageney, for whatever reason, each year their ability to become productive members of society, taxpaying citizens, is strongly related to the quality of these contacts. We cannot afford then to adopt backwoods approachs or penny wise pound foolish attitudes in regards to the treatment of children in trouble. The commissioners must also realize that their remarks toward caseworkers and civil problems of the community.

It is impossible for the commissioners to be experts in all matters, and the services that the child welfare agency is expected to provide is no exception. Child welfare is a complex service and like education cannot be measured in actual dollars. We realize that education will pay dividends and this is in part why we support educational institutions. Child welfare services will also pay dividends when operated hy professional personnel. We feel that at least four of the last five child welfare resignations are directly related to the commissioners' totally uneducated approach to an extremely complex, very service employes can only alienate persons from seeking employment in our community service agencies.

We do not wish to have children i as has happened in the past, due to unqualified and unprofessional services. The commissioners must reevaluate their attitudes toward child welfare services and begin to assume the responsibility they have sworn to uphold. Thomas J. (ieorge, MSW New Cast le George P. Macom, MSW Mt.

Jackson A New Jersey woman's lifetime of volunteer service won the nation's top mental health award recently. She will use her prize of $1,000 to help found a Halfway House for the recovery of mental patients. The award winner, Mrs. Joseph DeGross, began her work because of gratitude for her own daughter's recovery from serious mental illness. In her years of service she has ohtained headquarters for the Association, established a mental health seminar for clergy, started a volunteer program at the state hospital, originated a Christmas gift drive and a social dub For patients.

Her latest project is the Halfway House to service 130 patients. If one-tenth nf us responded in a similar way for the good things that have come our way. a lot more people would have cause for gratitude. It doesn't take any effort to be complacent about favors received. But it requires insight, courage and the help of God to tum our own good fortune into something that can be shared with many others.

"Share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13: 16) Let our thanks for Your benefits, Lord, be shown in practical assistance to our fellow humans. (If you wish to receive Father Keller's News Notes, "Add Meaning to Your free of charge, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The Christophers, in care of The New Castle News.) James Keller Now you know William and Mary College at Williamsburg, Va, was founded by James Blair and chartered in 16W by King William and Queen Mary. CLOVER. S. C.

Herald: "Since only about fifteen per cent of the enlisted men now in service 'of a total of 3,500,000 officers and men in uniform: are draftees, one can readily see that ending the draft in peacetime is feasible." NEW CASTLE NEWS Editor. The News: The recent resignations of the Child Welfare employes and the current action of the county commissioners is a matter of grave concern even though the commissioners appear to feel otherwise. We feel that it is imperative that many aspects ol the situation need to be considered from a perspective other than thai ot the The possioility of losing SS5.000 in state aid is an indication of the commissioners' poor, if not inept, ability io manage the uxpavers money. More important is the fact that the commissioners are assuming an omnipotent attitude in dealing with the Editor, The News: 1 am writing in regard to the recent "professional seminar" the teachers of New Castle were involved in. It seems that the majority of the people of New Castle are extremely, and in my opinion, unnecessarily critical of the teachers involved.

I wish to express an opinion rarely heard. Our teachers spend thousands of dollars and hours going to college to prepare themselves for this profession. Why should they not get something out of it besides personal satisfaction? We expect to have our teachers act as professional people, calling it in Student supports teachers here seeking higher scale of pay uh4 hnl ClniNIUItMxIlnbiib 14101 Hh.l tint, Inn IWnill I HUH umcmiiom to 10 On wl 1 ll lMint vu lm, Cif illegal to strike, etc. and yet we refuse to pay them accordingly. The argument about their "3 month to me, is practically ridiculous.

Many hours go into a teachers' week than those spent in the classroom. There are papers and tests to correct, lesson plans to be made out, meetings to attend. Every teacher puts in extra time giving help to a slow learner, having interviews with students' parents. Yes, all this and much more. Most teachers are so involved with their classes that they do many things for them in out -of -school hours.

Teaching used to be a woman's profession. But now the number of men in the teaching field is higher then it has ever been before. Men with families to support and who must now have another source of income in order to make ends meet. Most people would not make these sacrifices of many hours with Little pay. New Castle citizens must realize this and that our city will not attract high-quality teachers with the low salary of $6,200 a year.

Our educational system will surely suffer. That is, unless we make up our minds to offer some incentives that will make teachers want to teach in New Castle. One Df which, being the increased salary. Another gripe heard quite often is the six days the students will have to make up, Undoubtedly, this will cause some peoples' plans (vacations, etc) to he upset. But it is something that cannot be avoided.

I am a 8th grade student at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School and I am fully aware of the discomfort this will cause for me, also. But I will make up these days, willingly and uncomplaining, because I believe that Ihey were lost for a cause. A cause that I hope will soon show some results. Dianne Bistyga Newcastle.