Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: Richard Bortz Sr., owner of Bortz Chevrolet in Waynesburg, was recently honored for celebrating his 50th anniversary of selling and servicing vehicles at his dealership. Bortz’s dealership has been a successful mainstay in the Greene County business community, and it is because of Bortz himself, who has been championed a pillar of the community and has treated his customers and staff with care and respect. Bortz has also selflessly devoted himself to helping others, whether it was serving on nonprofit organizations’ boards or donating to local sports teams and veterans’ initiatives. We congratulate Bortz for his impressive milestone, and we wish him and his dealership continued success for years to come.
Cheers: Inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., in 2017, a group of local women brought a similar march to Fayette County last Saturday. MaryEllen Snyder, one of the organizers, said the march targeted the nearly 20,000 unregistered voters in Fayette. It wasn’t about stacking the deck for a party, she said, rather getting women in particular to sign up and exercise their right to vote. About 125 came to the march, the first of its kind in the county. The deadline to register to vote was Monday, and in a report issued that day, the Pennsylvania Department of State noted 81,712 were registered in Fayette. Hopefully all are making arrangements to vote on Nov. 3.
Jeers: Fayette and Greene counties have both had hiccups this election season related to mail-in ballots. In Fayette, some electronically requested ballots weren’t sent out, while in Greene, voters got a second notice that made it sound like they were going to get two ballots. Both counties said errors in the state system were to blame, and have been proactive in notifying voters about what happened. This year has already brought many concerns about the integrity of the presidential election. While officials are working diligently to resolve the problems, issues likes these will undoubtedly continue to cast aspersions on the process.
Cheers: The Greene County Department of Recreation, the Waynesburg Lions Club, Waynesburg Borough and the Special Events Commission worked together in providing the upcoming Fall Festival and Fright Night for area youths. The Halloween-themed event will be held at the county fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 7 to 9 p.m., and will feature a wide array of family friendly activities, including parades, Trunk-Or-Treating, a pumpkin carving contest, entertainment and fireworks. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Lions Club is not able to hold its annual Halloween parade in downtown Waynesburg. However, the previously mentioned parties decided to partner together to offer a safe alternative and hold a fun fall event that youths of all ages can enjoy. We commend those who work together to provide community events during these unprecedented times.