Feb 16, 2005 3 min read

Editor’s Note: This letter refers to the Feb. 6 story, “A Life Redeemed,” about former killer Jim Townsend who is now a 78-year-old Capuchin Franciscan monk. I was 18 years old living in Maple Summit with my mother. My mother’s cousin was visiting her. His name was Jesse Kemp from Bidwell. My mother heard a man yelling outside for Jesse. It was Jim Townsend and he said he just killed his wife and wanted to call the cops. Jesse had no gas in his truck, so they told him to go to the house down the road. At the time I was staying there it was the Daniel’s farm. I had just married Monroe Daniels and he was working away, so I spent time at his home.

It was pretty late, and a knock came on the door. When I answered the door, this man was standing there. He said he killed his wife in Bidwell and was hunting a phone to call the law. So Shorty Widdowson (he boarded with the Daniels) dressed. The man whose name was Jim Townsend wanted to go to Ohiopyle to call the cops. We were afraid for Shorty, not knowing the man, but Shorty said he would be OK. He took him to Ohiopyle to make the call and waited until officers picked him up.

I am so glad Jim Townsend got his life together. This is showing God loves you no matter what and everyone can change if they have faith and want to.

I’m now 75 and still remember that night very well.

Betty L. Daniels

Confluence

Wrong place for halfway house

Regarding your “Wows and Scowls” comments on Feb. 11, “Wouldn’t it be better at this stage…to learn the details…. (potential halfway house) …” Funny you did not make the same comment to Commissioner Angela Zimmer link and District Attorney Nancy Vernon. Their comments, printed in the Herald-Standard following the prison board meeting, were all for the halfway house. I find it odd that they did not propose an evaluation of the area to determine suitability before jumping on the bandwagon. The German Township supervisors as well as the residents of German Township and nearby Georges Township are already well aware of the problems, limitations and concerns of their jurisdiction to include environmental and sewage issues in that area; poor accessibility with regard to roads; safety to residents, school bus stop and route issues, etc. I assume these “halfway house” individuals will need to find employment as well as transportation to facilitate their segue back to society. The area seems to be a poor choice from both perspectives.

German Township residents and supporters were well on their way to 200-plus signatures on a petition before the township supervisors held discussion on the topic at their recent meeting. I thought the job of a reporter was to research an issue and convey unbiased information to the readers. It appears that you just printed unsubstantiated third-hand comments.

Andrea Janson

Uniontown