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Diamonds to Betty Williams and all her fellow pin-knockers who comprise the Back Mountain Thursday Girls League. The catch: These “girls” are all senior citizens. “You should talk to Betty,” several woman suggested to a reporter. “She wants to keep bowling until she’s 100.” Turned out Betty was a tad less ambitious, saying “or at least until I’m 90” before lowering the goal further. “Right now, I’m shooting for 88.” Why give this little ditty of a story our top diamond of the week? Because as NBC “Late Night” host Seth Meyers puts it in an occasional segment, “this is the kind of story we need right now.” Politics, crime, grocery prices or something else got you down? The Back Mountain Girls should lift everyone’s spirits for a few moments. “I’m 67 years a bowler,” Betty said. “I don’t know when to quit.” Good for you! And thanks.
Coal to the two people arrested — and to anyone else involved — following an alleged brouhaha on Penn Street in Kingston Monday. Police say a 48-year-old man confronted a 12-year old boy and another juvenile, accusing them of tampering with his vehicle. As he argued, four other people began to fight in a driveway, throwing garbage cans, lawn furniture, bicycles and a grill at each other. Video reportedly shows one woman strangling a juvenile, who was mentally challenged. Another woman attacked that woman, and a third person pistol-whipped her. If you think it all sounds insane and avoidable, you aren’t the only one. More information may come out as the case proceeds through investigations and court appearances, but we’re hard-pressed to imagine a good reason for any of it. Clearly there were no adults present.
Diamonds to the Luzerne County Election Bureau and Election Board, County Manager Romilda Crocamo, the numerous workers from many county departments, and a long list of volunteers who collectively made Tuesday’s election go as smoothly as it did. Of course there were glitches, but the fact that they were dealt with quickly and equitably is the real story, not the fact that they happened. Considering the heavy turnout and hyper-partisan scrutiny by some just aching to find fault, we believe it went well. We won’t be surprised if some as-yet-unknown substantial problem surfaces, but with so many eyes around the country falling on Luzerne County elections thanks to past gaffes, the work by all bordered on heroic. Kudos to everyone — including those who did their civic duty by voting.
Coal to state representative-elect Jamie Walsh for withdrawing his legal complaint alleging the county was foot-dragging the registration of new voters and the fulfillment of mail-in vote requests (evidence clearly shows they were not). You might think he deserves some credit for dropping the quest for an injunction regarding county efforts, but that’s like saying we should praise the thief for breaking in before deciding nothing was worth taking. In a letter submitted to the court, Walsh’s attorney said the withdrawal was due to the timing of an expected hearing, slated for 4 p.m. election eve. Who would have thought that the late filing of this suit would make it moot? Hint: we did, in this space days after the complaint was filed. If Walsh believed something was wrong with the county’s efforts, he should have pursued the case regardless of timing, to expose the problem. At the very least, filing the case and withdrawing it so quickly shows poor judgment on his part and a lack of understanding about how the justice system works.