Wows and Scowls
Wow: How ’bout them Stillers? Five days later and everyone is still talking about the outstanding, come-from-behind, nail-biting finish that played out Sunday on Heinz Field. As the Steelers advance in the playoffs and take on the Tennessee Titans, many fans are fretting that injury-plagued Pittsburgh will have a rough go continuing its quest to return to the Super Bowl. The latest line separates the teams by merely a field goal in Tennessee’s favor. The contest is guaranteed to be as exciting as the Cleveland match. Here’s to hoping for the same outcome. —
Scowl: The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has gone overboard in an attempt to crack down on people who feed black bears. We don’t disagree with the game commission’s goal of discouraging people who set out food specifically to attract bears. They indeed should face a penalty for putting others in harm’s way. But the newly adopted resolution also calls for fines to be levied against those who unintentionally attract bears by feeding birds and squirrels. In recent years black bears have increasingly wandered into populated areas to forage for food. This is partly due to the four-fold increase in their numbers during the past 25 years and partly to residential areas expanding into their habitats. To its credit the game commission does not intend spot checking for backyard bird feeders but it does plan to issue fines based on neighbor complaints.
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Wow: The Fayette County Clerk of Courts’ office handles a lot of foot traffic during the business day, and no time is busier than criminal court week, which was talking place this week. So it is quite fortunate that when a large portion of the ceiling collapsed Wednesday no one was injured. The office’s elected head Janice Snyder said she and two employees had just stepped to handle tasks when the ceiling came tumbling down. Until repairs are made, which the county commission chairman promised to do promptly, the office will remain closed to the public. We trust that the county workers will also be provided a safe place to toil until repairs are completed.
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Scowl: The county commissioners scheduled a special meeting for Monday and then realized that a trial in which all three were expected to be called as witnesses was set to take place. The logical thing to do would have been to either reschedule, or open the meeting and then recess until a time when all three were finished testifying. As usual the commissioners’ actions defied logic.
While Commissioner Ron Nehls was tied up in court, Commissioners Sean Cavanagh and Vince Vicites held their meeting to approve spending $400,000 from the county’s bond issue to improve Mathew Drive to better serve the business park and a planned Home Depot store. Nehls had a few reservations about the project and had wanted to place his concerns on record. His presence at the meeting wouldn’t have changed the outcome as the other two outnumbered him but he should have had a chance to say what needed to be said.
It isn’t as if Vicites and Cavanagh didn’t know where to find him. Minutes before Cavanagh was with Nehls in the courtroom. Cavanagh told Vicites that Nehls said to go on without him, but Nehls said he told Cavanagh to recess until he could attend. Vicites said he asked Cavanagh three times about Nehls. Cavanagh said Nehls told him “you guys can handle it.” Cavanagh later acknowledge that there might have been a miscommunication. “In life, stuff happens,” he said. Especially when one orchestrates the happenings.
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Wow: The scene at Consol’s Mine 84 in Washington County isn’t nearly as dramatic and riveting as the nine miners trapped beneath Quecreek Mine last summer. But the effort to quell a fire that broke about 660 feet below the surface on Monday has been an around-the-clock effort as crews work above and below ground to save the mine and the nearly 500 jobs it supports. Crews have pumped more than a million gallons of water and progress is being made.
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Wow: Not just a few Uniontown adults recall the days spent at the old Y on Gallatin Avenue, playing basketball, swimming, meeting with friends for constructive activities that kept them off the street. Now, thanks to the new owners of the former YMCA building, James and Connie Stambaugh, a new generation of kids are finding a place to call their own. Teens for Christ, led by the Rev. Peter Malik, are leasing part of the building and are helping with the necessary renovations. Much work still needs to be done, but it’s a welcome start.