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A4GETTYSBURG TIMES • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER », 2002lt;}ETTWBURGlt;hMES • -1902 /o 2002- ____________Published daily. Monday through Saturday by the Times and News Publishing Company — © Copyright 2002 —1570 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325Internet: w ww.ghurgtinie9.com Email: info®gburgtimes.comOpinion _w’-'' notebook ~ ' 1Saving and paving the worldThomas Ford, Director of Operations Robert Wright. Advertising Director Rnndy Gardner, Product iun Miiniiger Thomas Bair. CirviiliUion Manager Kristi Cramer, Com me re ini Pri tiling1 CoRobert Small, Editor John P. O'Donnell, News Editor Josh Martin, Sports Editor IJonuId Kuuntz, Accounting Manager Donna White, N.l.E. CoordinatorThe Gettysburg Times, founded in 191)2. continues The Slur and Sentinel (1800). The Gettysburg Compiler OKIKl. The York Springs Comet (1873). The New Oxford Hem (1879), and The EastBerlin News (1880). ■■■ * ’Keystone Tress Award in 2002 Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors Award in 2002As others see it Take time to readSonic people said thin if they were in my clogs, with a month to spend alone on a lake, they would do a whole lot of fishing.I can appreciate that. Had my' clad, God rest his soul, been with me the past four weeks, he would have fished that lake clean and then some.But 1 like fishing more in theory than in practice. Besides, when you spend hours, as I did, feeding those fish — giving them names, like Fred and Lucy and .Lips — it tends to take the edge off your appetite.Others told me, given that much time, they would try to catch up on their hobbies — fill scrapbooks or practice the guitar or knit little fuzzy sweaters for their dogs.If I have a hobby, it’s people; I collect characters the way some folks collect antique spoons or beer mugs, except 1 don’t hang them on the wall in my kitchen. My kitchen is not that big. But people were in seriously short supply at the lake, so the hobby idea was out.One woman told me, if she had a whole month to herself, she’d climb in the tub with a bottle of champagne and a big box of chocolates and take a monthlong bubble bath.Hmmm, The place I rented had a shower, no tub. A very small shower, at that. But by far, the No. 1 pastime that readers wrote to say they would indulgtp in if giyeft; four weeks alone was ... gfjBahead, guess. All right, never mind.Nearly everybody. IvJSHMieffilflflSM they would read; they’d read all the books they had wanted to read for ages, even some they’d read before.Here's a question: Why do some of us, myself included, need to leave home, it seems, to read?At the lake, I read most every day. I did other things, too, but mostly, 1 just read. It was fttn. Come morning, I’d sit on the dock in the sun, or on the screened porch when it was misty — bundling up in a quilt as the weather began to turn along with the leaves ■— coffee in one hand, a book in the other, grinning like a mule eating briars.Late at night, 1 read myself to sleep the way 1 used to do for my children. Sometimes I tried to read a little in the middle of the day, too, unless it rained, ofcourse, in which case, I would just read all day long.I read everything I could find that had words — books, newspapers, magazines, real estate ads, and once out of desperation, the phone book.When I finished all the books I’d brought with me (except the paperback I dropped in the lake when I fell asleep on the dock and awoke to find myself surrounded by ducks), I drove into town to buy more. I don’t know which ! like better, reading or hanging out in a bookstore. T did a lot of both.Of the books I read, here are my favorite three. OK, six; — “My Losing Season” by Pat Conroy; it’s about, well, basketball and it’s no “Prince of Tides,” but it's still Conroy, and that’s quite enough for me.— “Ella Minnow Pea” by Mark-Dunn; a parable on words and reading, censorship and love.— “The No.l Ladies’ Detective Agency’’ by Alexander McCall Smith; lipo^lp^ the rrmsf dtdighlfuL - read I’ve found,m years. Set'in Botswana, it’s the story of a woman whose father leaves her some money to start a business, so she decides to open a detective agency.Read it now, thank me later. Then you can be hooked, as I am, and read the sequels; “Tears of the Giraffe,” “Morality for Beautiful Girls” and, due out in spring, “The Kalahari Typing School for Men.”Books are like friends. We never seem to have enough time for them. And the best ones, we have to share.When I left the lake, I made myself a promise: I’m going to take a little time every day just for reading. Just for pleasure.I hope you will, too.. Scripps Howard News ServiceHa\c tin E-pinion?E-mail your thoughts to: editor@gburgtimes.comBe sure to include your name, hometown and phone number.On a week away, for yourself, what book would you take?What book would you recommend to friends?Todji in h ■By The -Associated PressToday is Saturday, Nov. 9, the 313lh day of 2002. There arc 52 days left in the year.Today’s Highlight in History:On Nov. 9, 1965, the great Northeast blackout occurred as several states and parts of Canada were- hit by a series of power failures lasting up to 131/2 hours.On this date:In 1872, fire destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings in Boston.In 1918, Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II announced he would abdicate. He then fled to the Netherlands.In 1935, United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis and other labor leaders formed the Committee for industrial Organization.In 1938, Nazis looted and burned syna-• gogues as well as Jewish-owned stores and houses in Germany and Austria in what became known as “Kristallnacht.”In 1953, author-poet Dylan Thomas died in New York at age 39.In 1963, twin disasters struck Japan as some 450 miners were killed in a coal-dust explosion, and 160 people died in a train crash.In 1970, former French president Charles De Gaulle died at age 79. .In 197$, the UN General Assembly approved 10 resolutions condemning apartheid in South Africa, including one characterizing the white-ruled government as “illegitimate.”In 1988, former Attorney General John N. Mitchell, a major figure in the Watergate scandal, died in Washington atage 75.In 1989, communist East Germany threw open its borders, allowing citizens to travel freely to the West; joyous Germans danced atop the Berlin Wall.Ten years ago; Russian President Boris Yeltsin, visiting London, appealed for help in rescheduling his country’s debt, and urged British businesses to invest.Five years ago: A Boeing 707 jetliner carrying First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was forced to return to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington after a sensor-indicated an engine fire, which turned out to be a false, alarm, (Mrs. Clinton left the following day for a tour of Central Asia.)One year ago: The northern alliance proclaimed victory over the Taliban in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, the most significant prize in northern Afghanistan.Today’s Birthdays: SportscasterCharlie Jones is 72. Baseball executive Whhey Herzog is 71. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham, D-FJa., is 66. Actor Charlie Robinson (“Night Court) is 57. Movie director Bille August is 54. Actor Lou Ferrigno is 50. Rock musician Dee Plakas (L7) is 42.Ill# i I“Before I built a wfdl I’d ask to know/ What J was walling in or walling out’,— Robert Frost, American poet (1874-1963)Christmas must be drawing near. I say that because on Election Day my mailbox spilled forth 11 mail-order catalogs; a day later, it offered six more wish books,I’m not much of a shopper, but catalogs chuckle me. I’m fascinated by the colorful, glossy pages of extraordinary gifts.1 mean, who could live without an authentic replica of King Tutankhamen’s sarcophagus? Just perfect for that vacant comer in your abode. And no home is complete without that snarling, demonicfaced, British gargoyle leering an “unwelcome” to your guests from atop your front door.My favorite must-have gifts show up in “The J, Peterman Company” catalog.You have to give Peterman — whoever he or she is — credit. Peterman dreams up some lovely fiction to describe those gifts.There’s the George Armstrong Custer fringed jacket, “...that he must have looked dashing in,Peterman’s words, not mirte.Or you could purchase “What Marie-Antoinette wore to bed.” It’s a simple, old-fashioned night shirt “...for the queen who yearned for innocence.” Again J. Peterman's words.Peterman’s treasure trove offers wild boar chops — yum ■— and whole “sumptuous and succulent” piglet to feast on.I’m not making this, up; I’m not that imaginative.So for a rare holiday treat, crawl into your Custer jacket or your Antoinette nightie and dine on porky or wild boar.— Pat Nevada□□□I read the story with great interest.The major news outlets are gearing up for war with Iraq,CNN is sending its crews out with body suits for use in case of chemical or biological warfare. The Baltimore Sun and Chicago Tribune are sending their reporters to special security school. And Fox News is scouring the Middle East looking for safe places to cover any action that may occur.“This is just a huge story, just like Sept.11 was,” said Judith Matloff, a journalism professor at Columbia University who teaches a class on war reporting.Whoa, Stop right there,Someone actually teaches a class on war reporting? What do these budding Geraldo’s learn? Ducking? How to keep their notes in one piece while dodging projectiles?When I was in journalism school we didn’t have a course on war reporting. But, come to think of it, I could have used a class on Old War reporting. It would have come in handy here in Gettysburg.Oh, I forgot. I did take a course. It was called American History.— Beth KanagynanToo wet to mow — We can't mow our lawn! Rain has made the ground too wet. After more than a year with nearly no rain, that's wonderful.— John Messeder QQQ“Her delicate beauty was on display at the trial along with a wardrobe of dark sweaters and skirts, soft dresses and, on the climactic day of closing arguments, a cream silk suit with a pleated skirt and short jacket. ”And THAT is how The Associated Press ended the story when actress Winona Ryder was found guilty of grand theft and vandalism at Saks. ■We don’t give local shoplifters front page coverage — why should we have made a big deal about this one? Readers found a small item on Page A3 on Thursday, in the area where police and fire news is usually anchored.Then again, we don’t see many entries under the magistrate’s report for someone walking off with $5,500 worth of clothing from Peebles, Or have to wait for many local, two-time Oscar nominees to finish using the fitting room at TS Menswear. Or get the alibi (and we hear them all) that she “was doing it for a movie role.” «Too bad the verdict didn’t come on Tuesday afternoon. It would have gotten lost amid the election coverage.— BJ. Small□□aInside me. there’s a thin woman screaming to get out. But I can usually shut the brat up with chocolate.A message sent to me by my identical cousin — I thought I'd pass it along.— Alex Gay hart □□□My best friend celebrated her 24th birthday this week. I remember when she turned 23, she was a wreck because She thought that was bid. I, on the other hand, used the opportunity to make fun of herBethKanagyand hung signs around our apartment that said “No noise after 10 p.m., the elder is sleeping.”She took it in good humor, as she did her birthday this year.' I think she learned that birthdays are no more than a number marking another year of aged success and knowledge.Happy birthday, Jen. Hope you will always stay as young at heart as I know you feel. Best wishes on your way to the quarter-century salute.Kami MasemeranaIn a recent column in the Wall Street Journal, United. States ■ Trade Representative Robert Zoellick praised plans for a free trade deal with five southern African nations (which, by the way, he helped broker) as a big step for bringing these countries on board with global trade,These nations, along with Central and South America, and southeast Asia—all of whom the U.S. is working with on similar deals for trade liberalization—are the key markets for growth and development, Zoellick argued,What is interesting, and I think probably goes completely unnoticed because it has become so indoctrinated into modem thinking that we are probably unaware that it is not necessarily sound logic, is that Zoellick represents in the column the pervasive notion that everything ought to be developed, and everything that isn’t developed is merely a pocket for economic growth.The world view that Zoellick represents, and much of the capitalist world simply assumes to be correct, is that the world is essentially a Monopoly board where everyone is trying to be the first to buy every place and put up as many hotels as possible.When the likes of Zoellick see undeveloped countries, they don’t see naturalhabitatg,.±aL]li^Ye;iflMPP9^4 r5PeF!es forTOvenve^cdi^hly'ddn’t see the fact that if everyone in the world liyed like Americans, it would be far more than the environment could handle.Essentially, all of the ecological problems that frighten scientists today (i.e.global warming, deforestation, pollution,h/ and species extinction to name a few)' ’ would likely escalate exponentially.But, I suppose it’s the economy, stupid’ ’ ... no matter the real cost. iJ1*Economic stability is contingent upon* economic growth. Growth is contingent' on expanding the marketplace.This is no secret to Phillip Morris’*^ Japanese cigarette division or^ ,McDonald’s in Nairobi, but where does it ’/ end? _ _ , ,J 1What happens when Africa is saturate^;, with Starbucks and Target? Wilier Microsoft put Internet bars in Antartica?-*,.-And how on earth will Siberians get; ■, along without having the choice between',.1 Fresh Fields and Kroger? (! -Does the only saving of the world lie in the paving of the world?And what happens when we’ve1' exceeded the earth’s carrying capacity (which many scientists argue we’ve ', already done)? / 'How do you undo this trend?Have we set ourselves up for failure? ’If there’s nowhere to go but up, what V happens when you reach the top? •• , •Earth, and it's-ability, to handle con-' sumption, are finite. The system we’ve , set up is not. Something has to give..Certainly everyone with an MBA will,., say that economic growth and globalizaj tion are fhe only paths to sustainable.;/ development and raising living standards., \ in the third world. ■*..?*And every cynic is more than eager to.'1. spread the word about how wrong-headed' environmentalists in the 70’s used to say -1 we’d all be dead from pollution and over- • ■' population by now. 'It seems unwise for the developed' world, which, while a beacon of hope is ;' also a bastion of excess, to promulgate ar system that is known to be a great burden ; on the environment and is widely, even in' \ the most conservative circles, thought to be causing serious damage to the natural world, ‘The lithmus test ought to reflect the,-Kantian question: If everyone in the world did what I’m doing, would, the*.; world-be better or worse off? . $ 'Until the developers can say “yes” to*i the developed, I think global develop-*! ment is a real threat to long-term environ-y; mental stability. 1 )— Andy Clarke]I italSDoonesburyBY GARRY TRUDEAU IBUT WHATABOUTfm CANTGO MJAUJGN AGAINTTHe JINX 7 J/NX-/7#\ AX*¥0WHMM,..OOOP POINT.okay, twecep-WQNONTHe/ \
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Gettysburg Times
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Nov 09, 2002
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