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Page 4 Gouverneur Tribune Press Thursday, May 22, 2008 editorial page Wxihunt jpregg The Gouverneur Tribune Press (USPS) 640-300 is published every Thursday by Gouverneur Tribune Press, Inc„ 74 Trinity Avenue Gouverneur, New York 13642 Subscription rate: $33 per year Periodicals: postage paid at Gouverneur, N. Y. Postmaster: send address changes to: Gouverneur Tribune Press, Inc., 74 Trinity Ave., Gouverneur, N.Y. M. Dan McClelland - Publisher Dick Sterling - Editor/General Manager Bobbi Sterling - Circulation/Billing Lisa LaVancha - Advertising Representative Sandy Wyman - Reporter Nancy McConnell - Reporter (315) 287-2100 •*- - . . ^ Editorial... Another milestone smashed; $4 a gallon gas a reality in area It wasn't that long ago when the main topic of discussion among friends and strangers was the weather. Now most of us don't even realize there is weather... I'm surprised that hasn't been screwed up by the high cost of gasoline. Everything else certainly has been! Sometime Tuesday afternoon the price of a gallon of gas • quietly surpassed $4 a gallon in Gouverneur. A convenience store on the East Side was the first to make it official... within hours nearly every other gasoline outlet in the area followed suit. Remember when all of those pessimists were predicting that we'd be paying $4 a gallon by Memorial Day... guess what? They were right! As I was snapping the photo (seen below) at the first ever sign in the village offering gas for $4 a gallon, I couldn't help but notice three cars at the pumps getting ready to fuel up. \Getting a shot of the new record?\ said one of the head- shaking individuals fueling up. \At least I ain't the first fool to pay for it,\ I responded. \By Saturday I'll still have half-a-tank, and you'll be paying $4.25,\ was his response. I stood there and realized, he was probably right. I climbed into my 14-mile-a-gallon van (that calculates to over $20 now just to go to Watertown and back), headed across town, in search of that last bargain tank of gas... UREKA, I was in luck. I slowly pulled up to the nearest pump, with a smile on my face, and a hand on my wallet, I pressed the familiar combination of commands on the pump and that most precious commodity began to flow into my tank. I was feeling so good about the fact that I had managed to find gas at a rock-bottom price of $3.97.9 a gallon, and 1 was going to get every ounce that the old hog could take, $40, $50, $60... suddenly I wasn't feeling so good. That magical clunk, meaning you're nearly full, came at $67.79.1 easily managed to squeeze in $70, paid for my purchase and vowed that I would wait as long as humanly possible before I would give into the greedy gas giants and pay $4 for the next gallon of gas. I promised myself that I will wait until the idiot light to the far left of my gas gage has been on for the better part of a day, before 1 bow down to the $4 a gallon fairies (fairies wasn't the word 1 really wanted to use.... but this is still a family newspaper). I've discovered that the most common comment about the price of fuel really isn't that clever... \how about the price of gas,\ someone will say. You' 11 hear it while in line paying more for groceries, that are increasing because of the high price of gas. You'll hear it at the mall, where you'll pay higher prices because of the price of fuel. You'll even hear it at the gas station, while paying as much for a gallon of gas as I did for a tank full when I started driving back in the 1970s. My first \hot\ car, a 1971 Satellite Sebring, had an eight cylinder engine in it. It could go pretty fast. The tires were easy to squeal. I loved quick starts. I often left the engine running, because of the way it sounded. I would drive aimlessly on back roads, just for something to do. In fact, most everyone I knew would drive on the back roads. Do you know how many miles I got to a gallon of gas? Neither do I... I didn't know and I didn't care. When the gas dropped below a quarter of a tank I would spend three or four dollars and fill it up again. While the price of everything has gone up since 1975, few items have gone up as much as gasoline. I can remember paying 41 cents a gallon during a local \price war.\ Now we're paying nearly ten times that amount. Who can still remember the good old days when the price of gas shattered the $1 a gallon mark. Those who sold gas weren't prepared, most of the gas pumps of that era were only capable of 99.9 cents a gallon. The solution was simple... gas peddlers would turn the price on their pumps back to 50 cents, and we would simply pay twice the amount on the pump. I wonder how long before we're faced with the same scenario... except that the pump will not be able to set for a price of$ 10 a gallon! Impossible... I think not. After all, how many of us really thought we would pay $4 a gallon? Americans can continue to talk about the crisis we're currently facing. We can continue to talk about the high price of gas, while at the same time we're filling our gas-guzzling vehicles at $4 a gallon. Or we can actually do something about it! Suspending the gas tax imposed by New York State, which would save us 33 cents a gallon, seems like a good idea in the short term, but what happens when September comes and the price rises by at least that much to offset the summer change. We need to demand that our political leaders, at every level, understand that we're sick and tired of lining the pockets of those in charge at the big oil companies. We need to demand that they work hard at finding a solution to this high-priced crisis... or get out the way and let someone else try. Even though I'm trying to milk this \last of the $3- something a gallon gas,\ I know that within a few days I, like the rest of you, will pull up to the pump, begin to fuel up at whatever price is being requested on that particular day, and complain to the guy at the next pump... about the high price of gas! -Vich Sterling' By Sandy Wyman May 19,1955 With Sesquicentennral week starting Tuesday, the Village of Gouverneur began to take on a festive air as the Malone Novelty Company put up red, white and blue pennants across Main Street and prepared to complete draping stores and businesses with bunting. Nearly 600 Boy Scouts with leaders at the helm from 14 North Country towns will arrive in Gouverneur this Friday to set up camp at the local fairground. Children of the first and second grades will receive one shot of the Salk polio vaccine tomorrow. Disneyland came to life at the Junior Prom last Saturday. Melvin A. Graves, owner and manager of the Red and White Store and Graves Bakery announced today his intention of retiring from the business after 25 years in the same location. Mae Fitzgerald, teacher at West Side was awarded an honorary life membership in the National Congress of Parents and Teachers in recognition of her many years of service. Three patrolmen, Robert K. Bockus, Patrick McCartha and Glenn Johnson have been invited to appear on Syracuse television today. The \boys\ have grown two-inch beards for the 150\ 1 anniversary of the town upcoming and are expected to tell about the weeklong celebration. May 22, 1940 With more than 30 listings of furnished accommodations already submitted to the Chamber of Commerce by local property owners, officials of the chamber urged others who seek tenants among the army officers here for the maneuvers this summer to bring registration forms this week. That tried and true inducement to congeniality and fun, the old fashioned \box social\ will appear in modern form Wednesday evening at the country club dance that signals the opening of the club's summer season. Carlton Eldridge and Harvey Sheldon are on a fishing trip north of Ottawa, Leo L. Eckman, Leland Easton and Harry Thomas have leased the Gouverneur Marble Company and will operate same as partners. May 15,1915 A. J. Rockwood, the Rochester contractor who secured the job of building the Gouvemeur-Edwards highway is on the job already with most of his equipment and many men and teams. Last Friday morning, early risers found the ground white with frost and as a result considerable damage was done to early vegetables and grass. Several who had potatoes up reported them cut to the ground and considerable com that had just come up was destroyed. Builders in this section are much interested in a new asphalt shingle that has made its appearance and has been used by George M. Frazier on his house on William Street. H. C, Rogers has sold the Homer residence at the corner of Park and Babcock Streets to Lynn Sprague who will repair and occupy it in the very near future. Mr. and Mrs. Bert H. Seaman of Clinton •Streethave purchased what is known as the Rollway Bay lot on Black Lake and intend to have a summer home erected there. A rumor was current here Saturday that James Hockey had lost his life on a battlefield in France fighting with the Canadian troops. The rumor was unfounded as Mr. Hockey is still in Canada with his regiment. • Ernest J. Barber of Gleason Street is now operating an auto livery in this village using a large touring car. May 21, 1890 Ex postmaster Dodge is now settled in the old Dodge office in the grove that becomes headquarters for the Gouverneur wood Pulp Company and the Gouverneur • ••• Iron Ore Company in which he is extensively interested. Professor Brown of Schenectady, consulting engineer for the state board of health, was in town Saturday looking over the ground in regard to the plans for sewers. The refining and packing of spruce gum for the market continues to be a flourishing industry in this section. Postmaster Gates took possession of the post office Saturday morning. May 19, 1865 Last evening the cry of fire was raised, the bell rung and upon going to the street we found a crows rushing down William Street to the scene of the blaze. The dwelling of the Widow Paul Davis just beyond the railroad was discovered to be on fire near the chirnney. The exertions of those on the ground were successful as is supposed in putting it out. But early this morning the fire broke out again and by daylight the house burnt to the ground. Dateline—May 12, 1965 Members of the Gouverneur Lions Club make sure they have got 40 dozen brooms on hand for tonight's annual broom sale. The club will canvass the village from 5 to 9pm to raise funds for its Sight Conversation Program and Scholarship Fund. Pictured from the left are District Governor Sanders D. Heller, Vice President Donald Infield, Broom Chairman Tom Guihan, President Edward Carroll, Past President Leroy Smith, Past President Jack Ruderman and Broom Project Co-Chairman Vem MacWilliams. Off on a much-needed six-week adventure By Rev. Connie Seifert I have much to do this- week. Of course, this is normal. But there is an urgency this week because I'm going away next week. There is a Festival of Homelitics being held in Minneapolis, MN. The list of celebrity preachers is too long to print here. Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest, is the keynote speaker who got my attention. I read a book she wrote called, leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith. For the past two years, I have been struggling with burn out. Having two congregations has proved to be a great challenge. It was hard to take time off with one \ congregation. It has been nearly impossible with two. Barbara's book describes exactly what I am going through. I am allowed up to six weeks of paid vacation each year. I've got seniority now. It used to be only four. I've been in parish ministry for nearly 22 years and I cannot remember ever taking more than two weeks off in any given year. (When it comes to vacations, our year goes from July to July since that is when we United Methodist pastors get moved.) It is almost guaranteed that once you schedule a week away, there will be a death or crises which will demand time and attention. So, even when I did take time off, I rarely got away for the allotted time. It would be cut short on one end or the other. / had remedies in place to help me keep my pace. I climbed the StairMaster at the gym. I paid monthly visits to a pastoral counselor. I planned vacations to exotic places where there were no telephones. Some guilt was involved in all but the first of these, since I had the idea that the practice of ministry alone should nourish me. Maybe J had read \The Diary of a Country Priest\ too often, or maybe I was loo much of a romantic, but I thought that God would keep depositing funds in my account whenever my balance got low. I thought that all J had to do was give myself fully to the work, and God would keep me in business. It is a complicated enterprise to find a way to nourish one's soul spiritually, when one is supposed to be providing spiritual nourishment for a living. It is like the housework dilemma. There is never a day when there is no housework to do. If we spend our lives expecting that we can get it all done, and then take a rest, we'll burn out fast. There will never be any time off or time out. There's always something that needs doing - or something we could be doing when it comes to keeping one's house in order. It is like that with pastoral ministry too. There is never a day when there is no pastoral care needed in a single parish - double those needs and expectations with two. I have spent my pastoring days expecting that I have to get caught up with what needs to be done before I can, with a clear conscience, take time off. Unfortunately, most parishioners concur. Their expectations that a pastor can just keep going and going and going - because that is what we are being paid to do - adds to the difficulty of taking adequate time off annually- \or even getting some reasonable amount of time out weekly. And so, it has come to pass, that I am taking six weeks of vacation all at once. I will be missing in action for seven Sundays. My timing is not so good. I'm going to this great festival with all these great preachers. I'll get all revved up to preach up a storm. But I'm taking seven Sundays off. I've never gone that long without preaching. I've never been away from my \flock\ for that long either. Bui God and I need a time to be together - just the two of us. Barbara ended up leaving the parish and became a college professor. I have no such plans. I'm a preacher and a pastor for life just need a good long time out at the moment. By offering people a place where they may engage the steady practice of listening to divine words and celebrating divine sacraments, church can help.people gain a feel for how God shows up - not only in Holy Bibles and Holy Communion but also in near neighbors, mysterious\ strangers, sliced bread, and grocery store wine, That way, when they leave church, they no more leave God than God leaves them. They simply carry what they have learned into the wide, wide world, where there is a crying need for people who will recognize the holiness in things and hold them up to God. .../ renewed my membership in the priesthood of all believers, who may not have as much power as we would like, but whose consolation prize is the freedom to meet God after work, well away from all centers of religious command, wherever God shows up. This is what my soul needs right now- \the freedom to meet God after work\. I'm not going anywhere exotic - or even far away. For the most part, I will be home working in my garden to my heart's content. I'm looking forward to visiting my daughter, Fran and hearing her piano students' recital at the Edwards church. 1 have plans to spend time with my sisters, Becky, Andrea and Kathy. And 1 also have at least one weekend where I will be off on retreat - away from phones and television. I'll be playing Scrabble over the fourth of July and attending a different church every Sunday. Don't tell anyone, but I may even sleep in one Sunday. I will come back refreshed and renewed — hopefully with some dynamite sermons ready to preach and a garden- full of good stuff to share. I may or may not get a column written each week. We'll see how the Spirit moves. \A healed spirit\ is my goal. Now all I have to do is tie up all the loose ends which must be tied up before I take off on this adventure. And thank God for those who are stepping in so that I can step out for a bit. Letters To A Home Town You can't Change the Weather By Angel Thompson-Georges Sometimes I think that my life is a complex lesson in recognizing and accepting that some things just are what they are and no matter how much I complain they just aren't going to change. I somehow doubt that this thought is exclusive to me. I see the lesson before people all the time. Weather is the mostpopular conversation starter I can think of, so I try to be prepared to discuss it at a moment's notice. There are times that these conversations lead me to the realization that a tremendous amount of energy is put into complaining accompanied by an irrational refusal to accept that weather is what it is. I had such a conversation on a particularly 'springy' spring day a few weeks back that went something like this: Me: It is nice out today. Guy Outside Office: This is the weather that we were supposed to have yesterday. Me: Yeah, but it came today. The sun sure feels good. Guy Outside Office: I heard that it is going to get cold again tomorrow. Me: I'm glad we have today to enjoy then. Guy Outside Office: It is going to rain this weekend. It always rains on the weekends. Me: Urn... It is Monday. (Wrinkle brow, shrug, depart) A close second for T have a gripe' conversations lately has been the price of things, in particular gas. Topping $4/Gallon, even though I don't have a car I feel the impact. The morning news, which I watch to get my daily briefing for pending weather conversations, has started featuring a 'complain about gas prices' segment. They don't call it that of course. Reporters go out seeking common folk like you and me who are feeling the pinch, like a call for a collective whine. One of the more personal it is what it is things for me over the past few years has been my job. In the three years that I have been there, we have been under three different owners. With each, changes that impact my life have swept down through the channels, caused by decisions made at 40,000 feet. As long as I choose to work there, most of these changes just are what they are no matter how much I might lament. I am a small fish and with each change in ownership the pond has gotten bigger. I am not advocating that people just stand by and watch things happen without action, In fact, I would encourage just the opposite, For things that 'are what they are', like train delays, rainy days or love, the power isn't in changing what is, it is in the way that we react and adjust. For the most part, complaining isn't a very efficient way to enact change. Lamenting the Weather won't stop the rain, but you can use an umbrella or stay inside and make soup. Or you could take the opportunity to pull on your boots (or slip off your shoes), and jump in some puddles. I hope this letter has found you and yours in good spirits and good health, Until I write again,..
