· As the brutal weather competes with President
Donald Trump for top billing in the headlines, one can only conclude that the
latter is as much a force of nature as the former. Both are incapable of precise analysis. The
predictive ability of meteorologists, often criticized for getting the weather
wrong, have a far better batting average than the political pundits who seek to
provide guidance based on the daily tweets, actions and pronouncements of the
President.
·
For those looking for weekend entertainment
beyond watching football, Washington County offers fantastic alternative
activities every weekend this autumn.
·
Replacing Brandon Neuman with one of their own
in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 48th District
will be a strong test for the Washington County Democratic Party. It is significant that Mr. Neuman, as an
elected Judge, will not be available to provide campaign assistance to the
Democratic candidate who wins the primary in 2018.
·
The East Washington traffic signs that warn of
“speed hump” rather than “speed bump” have generated more discussion than the
humps (or bumps) themselves.
·
The excellent bestseller, SAPIENS, provides many interesting factoids about the history of
the human race. But the author cannot
convince me that early hunter gatherers were a healthier happier lot than what
would later become organized human civilization.
·
With not much excitement in this year’s November
elections, the magisterial district contest that covers Nottingham, Peters,
Union Township and Finleyville has enough intrigue to make up for all the
yawns. Long time District Judge James Ellis, led potential candidates to
believe he was running for re-election, to discourage all possible opposition.
After circulating nominating petitions in February, Mr. Ellis retired the day
of the filing deadline, assuring that his alleged handpicked replacement, Jacob
Machel, the only other candidate to circulate petitions, would win the primary.
Both democrats and republicans were so incensed at the apparent trickery that
they each organized write in campaigns for the May 2017 primary. Despite these efforts, Mr. Machel was the
only candidate to appear on the democratic and republican primary ballot and he
won both. Now, a democrat, with a
well-known political pedigree, Jesse Pettit Esq. (son of the former District
Attorney), has changed his registration to “independent” and will challenge Mr.
Machel in the November election.
·
With all the recent natural disasters caused in
part by climate change I feel guilty at how much I am enjoying my lawn being as
lush and green in September as it was in April.
·
It was a feel good moment to read about the
naturalization of new citizens at the Washington County Courthouse. Whether this will result in citizens showing
more empathy for Roma refugees making a new home in the California area, or
spur our elected officials to finally appoint a diversity commission for
Washington County remains to be seen.
·
If millennials are responsible for the new
economy of “stay at home” and “avoid human contact” when purchasing everything
from clothes to meals, my bet is that their children will embrace the old
school model of brick and mortar, face to face contact, when shopping for goods
and services.
