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Lakemont suit needs a mediator

Blair County’s recent decision to sue Lakemont Partnership and a decision in August by Lakemont Partnership to sue Blair County are evidence of a lease dispute too complex to be resolved quickly. That’s why we’re recommending Blair County Court of Common Pleas identify a mediator as fast as possible to work with both entities and set deadlines to be monitored by a judge. Perhaps a mediator — one with a good legal background — will be able to sort through the accusations and arguments in the lawsuits and work on potential resolutions. Some may shake their heads at the ...

College grads face hurdles to success

If a new prediction evolves into fact, many college students whose degrees will be conferred in the spring could face days, weeks, months or longer of anxiety or unfulfilled dreams, according to an article that was published in the Wall Street Journal last month. Some people might shrug off that notion, reminding others that it is commonplace for uncertainties and anxieties to greet new graduates beginning this new chapter of their lives. Of course, the level of uncertainty and anxiety will depend on students’ preparation for this new phase of their lives. Those who have engaged in ...

Blair County CYF must not be allowed to backpedal

Sometimes it is advisable to endure some discomfort for a while, in hopes of achieving something better that is being sought for the longer term. That might be good advice for the Blair County commissioners now regarding the seventh provisional license that the state Department of Human Services has issued to the Blair Children, Youth & Families agency. Commissioners Chairman Dave Kessling indicated on Nov. 24 that he and fellow commissioners Amy Webster and Laura Burke were considering appealing the state’s provisional license decision because of progress CYF has made to fix ...

Pearl Harbor: not just another day in history

For Americans, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941, began as most Saturdays before it. American life was different then; Saturdays were different because Sundays were different. Sundays were not shopping days; they were more geared to rest and relaxation at home. Some families ventured away from home on that day of the week only to attend religious services or “to go for a ride,” if they were fortunate enough to own a vehicle. Anyone interested in sports learned about game results either by way of a radio or waiting until the next publish day of their local newspaper. Television was ...

State’s fiscal challenges are alarming

Since all seats of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and about half of those of the state Senate will be on the state’s 2026 election ballots, it’s safe to surmise that commonwealth residents need not fear a state income tax increase, no matter when the Legislature completes its work on a budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The purported deadline for completion of that budget is June 30, but it took the General Assembly more than four extra months beyond June 30 of this year for work on 2025-26’s $50 billion spending package to be finished. It was a mess for which the ...

Road salt issue should be simple

Pennsylvania residents who watched as the just-concluded 2025-26 state budget-preparation debacle played out might be thinking that the Legislature surely might now be able to find an issue that it can handle more quickly and more efficiently. But, in fact, will it? There’s an issue “out there” involving road salt, but state lawmakers have found a way to make it more difficult than it ought to be. Some state lawmakers — and presumably some non-elected officials — believe that road salt’s use ought to be curbed in order to reduce environmental damage stemming from ...