Cheers & Jeers
Cheers to the work done by Wounded Warrior Patrol, who brought 14 families to Seven Springs Resort this week for an all-expenses-paid vacation and some fun in the snow. The nonprofit organization supports the recovery and family bonding of wounded veterans, their spouses, children and caregivers through snow sports and other outdoor recreational activities. The group includes members of the National Ski Patrol, their family and friends. Many are veterans or have family who served in the military. In addition to fun, WWP offers the warrior families an opportunity to share experiences. The group also arranged a bus trip during the week to nearby Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County. The families are assisted this year by 65 volunteers who spend all or part of the week at Seven Springs.
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Cheers to state Rep. Pam Snyder for her continued push to get broadband service to rural counties like Greene. Snyder, who represents that county as well as portions of Fayette and Washington counties, started her fight to equalize accessibility to reliable internet services across the state. Last week, she proposed one bill and two resolutions. The bill directs the state Department of General Services to conduct an inventory of communication towers, poles, bridges and facilities to leverage existing assets and provide access to areas without broadband service. One of the resolutions directs the Joint State Government Commission to investigate why laws enacted in 1993 and 2004 to ensure broadband by 2015 haven’t been followed. Those who struggle without what’s become such a basic service for millions ought to appreciate her advocacy.
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Cheers to the state Supreme Court for adopting new rules aimed at helping families involved in high-conflict custody cases. The rules require each county to have a list of qualified parenting coordinators. Those coordinators may be attorneys or mental health professionals with experience in counseling, family therapy or psychology, and must have special training involving family mediation and domestic violence. The coordinators will work with families to settle issues that arise in custody cases, including how and where children will get from one home to another and child care arrangements. That person can also help coordinate the exchange of information between parents about their children. The goal is to have the coordinator work toward resolving parents’ differences, though the rules allow for a judge to get involved if that does not happen. In some of the saddest cases of familial dissolution, children are treated as bargaining chips by their parents. Any step toward re-emphasizing the well-being of children through that process is a welcome one.