Cheers & Jeers
The marker from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission was one of 18 granted in 2019. (Photo courtesy of the Observer-Reporter)
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
Pennsylvania Auditor General Timothy DeFoor speaks last June at a news conference in Pittsburgh during which an audit of the Washington County Clerk of Courts covering from 2016 to 2019 was released.
Cheers: As pandemic concerns continue to subside, Empty Bowls Greene has returned to help those in the county who experience food insecurity. The program, held April 6 at Waynesburg University, raised money by selling soup in handmade bowls that patrons get to keep. The funds go back to local programs that help county residents who are in need of food assistance. According to 2019 data from the nonprofit Feeding America, there are many in need in Greene County. Feeding America notes an estimated 50% of the residents in Greene live below the poverty line, with 71% of its children eligible for federal nutrition programs. Fayette County also participates in the Empty Bowls program, with an event scheduled for Sunday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fayette County Community Action Agency Community Service Center, 137 North Beeson Avenue, Uniontown.
Cheers: Southwestern Pennsylvania has a bountiful offering of beautiful trails criss-crossing the region, and there is no better time to explore them than springtime. Shrug off the winter gear, lace up your sneakers and get steppin鈥� on to one of the many scenic and well-loved trails in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, detailed in Sunday鈥檚 缅北禁地.
Jeers: When President Gerald Ford, a Republican, nominated John Paul Stevens for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975, Democrats had a commanding 61-seat supermajority in the U.S. Senate, yet Stevens was approved by the chamber 98-0. Now, it appears that Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson will only muster a couple of Republican votes in the Senate for her confirmation. And consider this observation made by North Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer to The Wall Street Journal: 鈥淭he Senate may have entered an era where the only way to confirm a Supreme Court nominee is the party of the president has to be in control in the Senate. And I鈥檓 pretty certain that the founders didn鈥檛 have that mind.鈥� Let鈥檚 hope that Cramer鈥檚 prediction is wrong.
Cheers: There are scores of historical markers throughout Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, an indication of the region鈥檚 rich history. There鈥檚 undoubtedly room for more, though, and local history buffs will have the opportunity to submit nominations for state historical markers to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission by June 1. Last year, markers were approved for subjects as varied as Chinese workers in Beaver Falls and the song 鈥淲inter Wonderland.鈥� This year, individuals or organizations making nominations are not responsible for the costs of marker fabrication, which is a plus, but they are still responsible for the costs of installation. It鈥檚 time for local history buffs to put their thinking caps on.
Jeers: Pennsylvania鈥檚 auditor general鈥檚 office has in recent years uncovered excessive and unwise spending practices in some school districts across the state, but the opportunity to make these discoveries could be significantly diminished as a result of a decision by Auditor General Timothy DeFoor in March to do away with the school audit bureau and shift that responsibility to the commonwealth鈥檚 education department. DeFoor said staffing cuts made this necessary, but observers say the education department is also short of resources, and its employees don鈥檛 have the necessary skills to perform detailed audits. Yes, most school officials spend money responsibly and thoughtfully. But, if you are one of the miscreants looking to take some expensive trips or adopt a more lax approach to spending, this might be your moment.