Sep 30, 2002 4 min read

I have recently learned that the annual Halloween parade sponsored solely by the VFW Post 47 has been cancelled. The parade has been held for several years and has brought together thousands of participants and spectators to our town, including children, adults, schools, police, fire departments and many more. We can’t forget the men and women in uniform who bravely served our country. Since the September 11th tragedy people realize how important the services provided by our police, fire and military departments are to all of us.

It’s an honor to have them participate in the Halloween Parade.

It is very sad to see this tradition come to an end in our city of Uniontown. The VFW generously donated their time and financial support over the years to better our community and inspire family quality activities by sponsoring the annual Halloween parade.

Unfortunately financial support that has gone unassisted for so long can only go so far, resulting in the loss of something that means so much to so many.

I am appealing to our community, both business and private citizens, to do something to help the VFW keep this annual tradition occurring this year and many more to come.

More sponsors are needed. The parade is just a few weeks away. If anyone is interested in saving the parade please get in touch with the VFW Post 47 and offer your help.

Ermine Rowe

Uniontown

Time to abolish housing authority

I am writing to comment on the Fayette County Housing Authority contracting with the Pennsylvania State Police to provide police services to housing authority residents.

Government officials have no business taking the money I work for and using it to put a roof over someone else’s head. Especially a roof that provides 24-hour maintenance, new carpet and appliances every few years, pest control and now a police presence the quality of which my own North Union Township neighborhood does not enjoy.

There is something inherently wrong about one taxpayer funded agency (housing authority) paying another taxpayer funded agency (state police) for services that are already supposed to be provided.

There is nothing to stop state police from driving through housing authority communities. Nor is there anything stopping the Fayette County Sheriff’s Deputies, peace officers with the power to make arrests for breaches of the peace committed in their presence, from driving through those communities. Why do we need to pay twice for services?

What about our locally elected constables? Although most people, including many constables themselves don’t realize it, constables have been declared to be peace officers with the power to make arrests, with or without a warrant, by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court because the state legislature, through Title 13 of the PA Consolidated Statutes, created constables for just that purpose.

The use of constables makes sense because they are paid a set amount for each service performed, not an hourly wage. Most times the person arrested is held responsible to pay the fees. The offender must pay for his wrongdoing and not society.

Another point is that the residents of the housing authority, who most often do not pay their fair share of taxes, will probably wind up with better and faster police service than those of us who are paying for it.

I seem to remember reading that the occupancy rate of housing authority communities is down so I must ask why are we providing more and more services there?

The housing authority should not enter into any contracts with anyone to pay for services that are already being paid. In fact, the housing authority should be abolished, and the properties put up for sale. This would give us an opportunity to recover some of the billions we have spent and to put those properties on the tax rolls.

I strongly urge the Fayette County Commissioners to take steps to take over the housing authority and then put it on the auction block as soon as possible.

Brian K. Lutes

Uniontown