Cheers and jeers
Cheers to Matthew Crutchman for his years of service to the East End United Community Center in Uniontown. He acted as the executive director of the longtime organization for five years, but recently accepted a new job. The Fayette County native worked with the EEUCC as a volunteer and then an intern, and has worked diligently in the executive director’s post to continue to expand the center’s services and improve it’s operations. While he may be moving on, Crutchman’s staying involved and will serve on the center’s board of directors. We wish him well in his future endeavors and thank him for his service to the community.
Jeers to finding that authorities have filed dozens more charges against a former funeral director, accusing him of using nearly $530,000 in pre-paid funeral funds from clients for personal expenses and to run his former business. Stephen Kezmarsky, 50, waived two cases involving more than 170 theft counts to Fayette County Court this week. We are compelled to stress that Kezmarsky’s case is far from resolved — he remains accused, not convicted. Yet, the allegations are troubling, and bound to cause concern for someone trying to finalize funeral arrangements in advance of their death.
Cheers to twin brothers Randy and Benton Shaffer of Spraggs, longtime Boy Scouts who have recently initiated Eagle Scout projects to help the community. For his project, Randy recently delivered 60 care packages filled with donated items to Washington Health System Greene for pediatric patients; and for his project, Benton Shaffer recently donated care packages to the Oxford and Bird Houses for those in rehabilitation due to alcohol and opioid addiction. We applaud the two young men for their efforts in assisting those in need.
Cheers to Kevin Willis, a teacher at Carmichaels Area High School for the past 22 years, who was recently honored with the 2018 Coldwater Conservationist of the Year award by the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Willis teaches chemistry, integrated science for ninth grade, conservation biology, and College-in-the-High School Chemistry, a four-credit course through Carlow University. He is also the advisor of the ChemClub and National Honor Society and additionally coaches the Envirothon team, which consistently places in the top five at the Pennsylvania State Envirothon. We strongly agree that Willis is most deserving of this award.
Jeers to those who are ignoring warnings and burning on days that are considered to be a high chance of brush fires. Already this year local fire departments have been activated for several brush fires in the area with the worst being a huge structure fire at the old distillery in Connellsville Township earlier this week. Please heed National Weather Service warnings, use common sense when deciding whether to burn on dry windy days and stop needlessly putting our firefighters in harm’s way.