A salute to folks who dare to care

THERE’S PLENTY to criticize and carp about, but we were delighted to see examples of Wyoming Valley residents making the extra effort to do the right thing.

In one case a man who asked not to be publicly identified committed a random act of kindness. In the other, Pittston Area School Board members are taking proactive measures to tighten policies and get involved in the nitty-gritty following the arrest of the superintendent.

Paula Ciaverella’s heartbreaking discovery that photographs of her late 18-year-old son were stolen from a vehicle in Hanover Township last week did not look like it would end well.

The photographs, along with other property, were in a tote bag that was stolen after the break-in of a vehicle parked outside a Hanover Township business.

After reading about the upsetting crime, a man happened upon a duffle bag tossed under a bridge in West Nanticoke. Through a card intermingled with the photos, he contacted the funeral home that handled the car accident victim’s arrangements in April. That connection led to the Hanover Township police, who returned the irreplaceable property to the distraught mom within hours.

Meanwhile, Pittston Area board members recently crafted a contract for the district’s new superintendent that could serve as a model for other boards.

The board painstakingly added specific language prohibiting administrators charged with serious crimes relating to their employment or with unrelated felonies from collecting compensation and benefits. The issue was raised this spring when Ross Scarantino, then the district superintendent, continued to be paid while on a leave after being federally charged with corruption.

In addition, the board revised the purchase policy to require two board members to meticulously review purchases greater than $2,500 with administrators.