Cheers & Jeers
Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Mehmet Oz, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, speaks at a forum in Newtown, Pa.
Associated Press
In this still image from video by WPTV shows emergency personnel surrounding a Cessna plane at Palm Beach International Airport Tuesday, May 10, 2022, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Cheers: A new acting troupe has taken root in Greene County. The Carriage House Players, headed by Bret Moore, are bringing community theater back to the county. Inspired by the Carriage House space in the Denny House in Waynesburg, the former theater director at McGuffey High School brought together a handful of interested actors for the group. Their first outing was held last month during a dinner theater performance. We are so very excited for the Carriage House Players, and the opportunities they may offer those in Greene (and beyond) who want to give acting a go.
Cheers: Jury duty is a vital civic obligation, but can be a burden for older people. While some enjoy robust health and are as mentally alert as they were when they were in their 20s, others must contend with limitations due to chronic conditions or mobility problems. Older folks living in rural communities also have to deal with traveling long distances to serve on juries. Right now, seniors in Pennsylvania can be permanently exempted from serving on a jury starting at age 75, but state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, has introduced legislation that would lower the exemption age to 70. It鈥檚 a sensible move. She explained, 鈥淥ur seniors have done their civic duty for decades, and they deserve to be relieved from the stressful and exhausting process of being called for jury duty. This bill would help elder folks save money and energy and give them more time with their families and friends.鈥�
Cheers: Ever had a dream where you鈥檙e in the back of a car that鈥檚 roaring down the highway but there鈥檚 no driver in front? Or that you鈥檙e in the sky but there鈥檚 no one piloting the plane? One man who has not yet been identified found himself in the latter nightmare scenario on Tuesday. He was the passenger in a single-engine plane flying 20 miles east of Boca Raton, Fla., when the pilot became 鈥渋ncoherent,鈥� in the words of the passenger. But what transpired next is an example of the abilities anyone can summon when everything is on the line. Acting on instructions from an air traffic controller, the passenger managed to get the plane safely back down on the ground, despite declaring at one point, 鈥淚 have no idea how to stop the airplane. I don鈥檛 know how to do anything.鈥� But he did it. And the fact that he was able to should serve as a reminder that we鈥檙e all probably capable of a lot more than we realize.
Jeers: There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about the candidacy of celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz to become Pennsylvania鈥檚 next U.S. senator, with his limited residency in the state and his lack of previous experience in elected office being atop the list. But one criticism of Oz that鈥檚 being made by his opponents for the Republican nomination seems unfair. They contend he would somehow be disloyal to the United States if he became a senator because he holds dual citizenship in Turkey. Some television ads have attacked Oz on that point, and have prominently displayed the star and crescent, which is associated with Islam. If elected, Oz would be the first Muslim U.S. senator, a milestone that should be celebrated. Oz has said the attacks on his dual citizenship have carried the whiff of bigotry, and he definitely has a point there.