Published: October 30, 2009 01:39 pm      

Laurels and barbs

Laurel: Halloween is a fun holiday for many area residents. Let’s make it a safe holiday, too. PennDOT urges parents to dress youngsters in brightly colored, very visible costumes and have them carry flashlights. PennDOT also urges motorists to be extra careful during the evening hours, when kids are likely to be out and about. “Watch your speed, avoid distractions and ‘expect the unexpected’ since children can be unpredictable,” said Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler. That’s great advice. And as always, adult Halloween revelers who will be drinking alcohol should let someone else drive.

Barb: This fall’s county and local elections have been fairly clean – with a limited amount of mud being slung. But in the final days of the mayoral race in Johnstown, we’ve seen things turn uglier. With Election Day on Tuesday, we hope the candidates in all races will stick to discussions of the issues and their own qualifications, rather than attacking the character of their foes. People are growing more and more reluctant to step into the political arena and offer their time for serving their neighbors. Mud-slinging doesn’t help that. And we find it to be a despicable political strategy.

Barb: A task force has been established to investigate the fire that claimed the life of an area firefighter. Officials believe the weekend blaze in Westover, Clearfield County, was intentionally set – meaning murder charges could be in order as firefighter Roy Everett Westover Jr. died at Miners Medical Center after suffering a stress-induced heart attack at the scene. To make matters worse, officials also believe this is just the latest in a string of arsons in the region. We urge officials to file criminal homicide charges once a suspect is determined, and we urge law-enforcement authorities to pursue the case vigorously. This fireman’s family deserves justice.

Laurel: The economic recession brought an increased demand for adult education options, and local vocational schools have stepped up to help. Hats off to Johnstown Career and Technology Center in Richland Township and Admiral Peary vo-tech in Ebensburg for making programs available to assist adults with retraining that will get them back to work. Nursing is a growing field locally, and other popular areas include welding, culinary arts, heavy-equipment operation and electrical technology. The great thing about these programs is that the vo-tech schools can match training opportunities with real jobs in the region – a win for students and employers alike.

Barb: We fear another delay in the case of a Johnstown native charged with shooting three people, killing two of them, on April 6 in Altoona. The trial of Nicholas Adam Horner was to begin in the late spring or early summer of next year. Now, defense attorney David Shrager of Pittsburgh has asked for permission to remove himself from the case, as another attorney for Horner had already done. Prosecutors in Blair County say they think the case can move forward, but we doubt the accused would feel that way. And anyone accused of a crime, even one as horrific as this, deserves legal representation. Perhaps Horner’s next attorney should be forced to sign a contract committing to see the trial through for the sake of everyone involved, especially the victims’ families.

Laurel: We salute Johnstown businessman Bill Beckner, who is purchasing a now-empty downtown building to house the bread-baking portion of his sandwich business. Beckner owns three Em’s Original Sub Shop locations, and will take over the building at 434 Main St., former site of an Eckerd drug store. “I think, in the long run, it’s going to be beneficial for us and for the customers,” he said. The Eckerd store closed in 2007 after the chain’s merger with Rite Aid. Soon, Beckner will shift the making of rolls for his submarine sandwiches – more than 500 a day – from his Scalp Avenue store to the downtown site. We look forward to seeing the building’s makeover and return to active enterprise.