Jeers and cheers
JEERS: It’s hard to imagine a more senseless shooting than the fatal ambush of state police Cpl. Bryon Dickerson last Friday near Scranton. Police have identified the suspect as Eric Frien, 31, a self-taught survivalist who hates police. It was a touching scene Thursday with hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the country lined up outside St. Peter’s Roman Catholic cathedral in Scranton ahead of the funeral for Dickerson.
The shooting hit home in Fayette County, where the state police has one of its biggest stations in the state. State police around here are well known and well liked. We join all residents of Pennsylvania in expressing our condolences to Dickerson’s wife of 10 years and their two young sons. We also join everyone in wishing that Frien will be captured quickly without incident and brought to justice swiftly.
CHEERS: Firefighters already face a difficult job in responding to fires. In addition to putting their own lives on the line, they must be ready to do whatever’s necessary to save someone else’s life. Both the regulations and qualifications for the job seem to grow by leaps and bounds each day. But in addition to being brave and courageous these days, firefighters must also be super salesmen selling all sorts of raffle tickets and food items such as spaghetti dinners and hoagies.
Fundraising is proving to be almost as challenging a job for local volunteer firefighters as fighting fires and saving lives. With equipment costs soaring and government funds dwindling, firefighters have no choice but to become sales savants to keep their trucks rolling. We certainly can’t thank the members of our volunteer fire departments enough for all they do. One way local residents can show their appreciation is by supporting whatever fundraiser their local fire department is holding.
CHEERS: Kudos to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, more commonly known by its initials VFW, which celebrated its 100th birthday last Sunday. A service organization that works on behalf of veterans, the VFW was founded in Pittsburgh. Today, it has about 1.5 million members with 7,000 posts around the world. Dedicated to helping veterans, the VFW finds itself dealing with a number of pressing issues such as health care, benefits, suicide prevention and homelessness.
The VFW has always had a strong presence in Uniontown with the local Post 47 being one of the largest in the country back in the 1960s and 1970s. Its band was also the best of its kind in the country. In addition, Thomas Crago of Greene County and Joseph Vicites of Uniontown served as VFW national commanders. Crago served from 1914 to 1915, while Vicites held the post from 1971 to 1972. While their numbers are down since the post-World War II days, the importance of the VFW’s mission remains the same. The VFW’s job is to help members of the armed forces who have served our country, and they are to be commended for doing such a wonderful job in performing that task.
JEERS: What the heck was juror Ronnie Bryner of Mill Run thinking when he left the Fayette County Courthouse last August without being excused or released? Bryner was cited for contempt of Fayette County Court for leaving, and during his hearing last week, Assistant Court Administrator Francie Moscovits said he came up to her and said, “I’m not going to stay here,” and ripped off his badge.
Fayette County President John F. Wagner Jr. ordered Bryner to reappear in court for jury duty on Nov. 3. If he doesn’t appear, Wagner said Bryner will be ordered to spend 48 hours in the Fayette County Prison. Bryner should have known better than to think he could have skipped out on jury duty without any consequences. Without jurors, there wouldn’t be any trials, so it’s very important that everyone serves when they’re called for jury duty. Let’s hope that Wagner’s stern warning serves as a wakeup call for Bryner and anyone else who might have had similar thoughts.