Wows and Scowls
Wow: All those who helped Heritage Apartment residents escape early Sunday morning from a burning building deserve a heap of praise. If it weren’t for the quick action of Uniontown police, fire and ambulance service workers, injuries could have been staggering. The building’s owners, the Uniontown Property Development Corp., and its managing firm, Presbyterian Senior Care Network Management Co., also quickly stepped in to help the stranded residents obtain shelter. Temporary lodging came through a generous offer from the sisters at Mount St. Macrina. So many have worked long hours this week helping families of the elderly tenants retrieve belongings from their apartments. Many more volunteers from several clubs and organizations are planning this weekend to move the tenants into apartments offered by the Fayette County Housing Authority, where they can stay until their apartments are ready again for occupancy. Quick response by rescuers brought the residents to safety and kept the damage contained to the third floor. Quick response from the community is helping to ease the trauma.
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Scowl: California borough sliced its police force to make its budget balanced, but it should rethink whether the temporary savings will harm the borough in the long run. The borough, which borders California University of Pennsylvania’s campus, had its first homicide in 35 years, along with three attempted armed robberies this year. The homicide is believed to be drug related. Authorities are seeing an influx of heroin into the college town. While California’s police chief is confident his scaled-down force can handle it, with some help from outside agencies, the community might not be as sure. If violent crimes continue, potential students and their parents might look elsewhere. This would only spell worse financial problems for California. Borough council members must ask themselves if they really can afford police cuts.
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Scowl: We told you last week about the atrocious conditions of California District Justice William Pelkey’s office that have worsened over the years, and scolded Washington County for continuing to pay the rent without forcing the landlord to make repairs. Pelkey’s saga continues. The county has found him a temporary place, clear out of his district. Those seeking justice within their home district must now travel to Charleroi to appear before Pelkley. The reason for the long-distance move: the state wants at least six weeks notice to move a computer system so it is easier for Pelkey to share the Charleroi’s system. Surely Pennsylvania’s court system can work a little faster.
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Scowl: District Attorney Nancy Vernon should review her office’s practice of logging phone messages and keeping in touch with the families of victims. In less than a week, Vernon concurred with a recommendation by a coroner’s jury that found no charges are warranted against state troopers involved in a 12-year-old boy’s death.
Her quick decision angered the families of three children who perished in a Dec. 14, 2001 apartment fire. They had to wait five months before their loved-ones’ deaths were placed before a coroner’s jury. Until they complained this week to reporters, they had yet to hear from Vernon as to whether she will honor the jury’s recommendation to file charges.
Grandmother Mary Younkin said she has dogged prosecutors, calling the office more than 100 times, to find out if and when arrests will be made. Vernon said she wasn’t aware of Younkin’s frustration and will now make a decision within two weeks. It’s understandable that some cases take time to build, but long before now Vernon should have known whether enough evidence exists to take this to trial.
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Wow: We have to hand it to Rep. Greg Vitali. The Democrat from Delaware County doesn’t give up. He is again asking the House to change its rules and bar using the public’s money to produce and broadcast “public service announcements.” Vitali figures Republicans and Democrats spent $1.7 million from legislative accounts in the months before the November general election on these spots, that are thinly-veiled re-election messages.
Vitali is also pushing for changes that will help the public and other lawmakers be better informed about legislation. He’s been shot down before when trying to get the House to offer an explanation on bills prior to votes; allowing members to debate the contents of a bill that has been altered by the Senate and posting notices two days in advance of committee meetings and agendas. While we recognize he is doomed, we congratulate Vitali on his tenacity to promote good, honest government.