Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: The 39th Give-A-Christmas campaign to support local branches of The Salvation Army is underway. Sponsored by the Herald-Standard, the annual fundraiser is particularly important this year. “I’d have to say a majority of the families we serve are working families that just can’t make ends meet this year for Christmas,” Christine Bell, social ministry coordinator of The Salvation Army in Uniontown, told the newspaper. “Christmas can be a hard stretch for families.” This year’s goal is $20,000, and the money will go a long way to help struggling families and provide gifts for children. Donations are being accepted through Dec. 23 and can be mailed to Give-A-Christmas, c/o Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401. Checks should be made out to Give-A-Christmas. Additionally, donations may be dropped off at the newspaper office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cheers: Cheers to the Penn West California football team for reaching the NCAA Division II regional championship game for the fifth time in program history. The Vulcans will have the advantage of a third straight home playoff game this Saturday when they play 11th-ranked Slippery Rock at Adamson Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff. Cal defeated The Rock during the regular season, 28-7, on Oct. 19, also at home. The rematch in the Super Region One Championship will be broadcast on ESPN+. Kicker Anthony Beitko has provided the winning points in California’s first two playoff wins. His 29-yard field goal as time expired gave the Vulcans a 30-27 win over East Stroudsburg in the first round. Beitko’s extra-point kick put Cal ahead, 34-33, after Davis Black threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Demonte Martin with 3:49 remaining in last Saturday’s victory over Ashland (Ohio). The Vulcans, coached by Gary Dunn, improved their record to 10-2. The earlier game at Cal was Slippery Rock’s lone loss of the season as it enters Saturday’s game with an 11-1 mark.
Cheers: It goes without saying that putting someone behind bars is a form of punishment – taking away your liberty for days, weeks, months or years at a time is a very serious penalty – but incarceration should also include paths to rehabilitation and independence for those who will be released after serving a sentence. In Fayette County, $900,000 in federal dollars is going to the Fayette County Community Action Agency (FCCAA) to support a reentry program that allows inmates to get a General Education Development (GED) diploma. It will be spread out over three years, with $300,000 each year, and be used to hire a state-certified instructor for GED classes at Fayette County’s jail, and cover the cost of two full-time career counselors who will work with inmates to plan on how they will gain employment once they have served their time. Virtual classes might also be offered to inmates from the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute and the Westmoreland County Community College. Educating inmates and aiming them toward employment when they are free is an important way to keep them from returning to jail.
Jeers: The holidays are a time of giving, and that frequently includes giving to charities and other worthy organizations. The problem, though, is that there are unscrupulous people out there who are trying to take advantage of the season’s spirit of generosity to fraudulently enrich themselves. This week, the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro issued tips for people to avoid being scammed. The recommendations include swatting away high-pressure solicitations; being wary of anyone who claims that 100% of your money will go to those in need, because all organizations have to pay for rent, staff, fundraising and mailing; and avoiding anybody who asks that money be sent by wire transfer, money order or gift card. Also, the Shapiro administration suggests checking twice and making sure someone who wants your money isn’t using a name that’s similar to an established, legitimate charity. Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt explained, “The holiday season brings out the spirit of giving, and Pennsylvanians have always done their part. Sadly, every year criminals try to take advantage of generous people by conning them into giving to a group or person that is not a legitimate, registered charity.”