On 3/16/12, WBNG reported on email exchanges between the Montrose Borough Councilpersons in which derogatory remarks were made about borough residents and others who had previously attended several meetings. Council wanted to restrict access by the public to borough meetings. Remarks were made about wanting to see certain citizens “arrested” and in "lock-up" for videoing the proceedings, something allowed by the PA Sunshine Act. Citizens were called disruptive hooligans for this. I was called a “clown." Others were called “thugs” engaging in “devilry.” Email exchanges between officials are covered by the Sunshine Act and are not private communications. Nine people were involved in the emails. It is disturbing to think that people who see themselves as “providing proper adult supervision” resorted to personal attacks and petty name-calling. Councilpersons have a responsibility to represent their constituents, not to rule over them and ridicule them. They provide citizens access to government, listening and taking their views into consideration.

The emails are available here and are easiest to read from bottom to top of the page: http://images.bimedia.net/documents/MontroseEmails.pdf.

WBNG’s story is here: http://www.wbng.com/news/video/142550565.html.

Borough business was discussed in the emails regarding a water hydrant in Montrose owned by Craig Stevens. Mr. Stevens couldn’t address the Council because he was removed from the agenda due to "possible litigation" between Montrose borough and PA American Water Company regarding bulk water withdrawals. My official written request to be added to a February meeting agenda to discuss the issue was denied. I wanted to ask on what basis is litigation being considered and how will it be funded?

WBNG followed up with story about a recent PADEP investigation of withdrawals from Mr. Steven’s hydrant and found the withdrawals require no special permit. Mr. Stevens pays for the water and is allowed to use it as he sees fit. PAWC is regulated by the PADEP and distributes water as a municipal water source. PAWC is the largest water company in the USA; surely they understand PA regulations. Lake Montrose supplies water to more than Montrose Borough. Waterlines run to the businesses along Rt. 706 in Bridgewater Township. Lake Montrose will supply the Endless Mt. Health System's new hospital. Why is the Montrose Borough council so concerned about a daily truckload of water to Dimock? Will PAWC really allow Lake Montrose to run dry? Perhaps a better use of time and energy would be to consider ways to protect the integrity and cleanliness of the water for citizens now and in the future.

Sincerely,

Lynn Senick

Montrose, PA

The story of Easter is a tale of two gardens. Although both oases are located in the Middle East they are separated in time by four thousand years and mark the polar opposites of existence, one for death and the other for life.

Somewhere in what is today called Iran or Iraq was a land called Eden. In Eden, God planted a garden of earthly delights as a dwelling place for the first two humans.

God named the first human Adam, meaning “red earth” referring to the soil from which he was formed. Adam named the second human Eve. Her name meant “life giver.”

But they were created incomplete. Both had the very fingerprints of God's handiwork on their bodies; physically they were perfect. Yet, they were morally imperfect; neither had any concept of right or wrong.

The primal pair were incapable of knowingly doing good or evil except for one act. In the midst of this garden was a tree whose fruit would give them the very quality they lacked, a sense of morality. Yet of this tree God forbade them to eat.

But why? Eating its fruit would harm no one. It violated none of what we know today as the Ten Commandments. And it would make them like God, aware of good and evil. Yet God told Adam “in the day that you eat of this tree dying you shall die.”

And that day came just as God intended it to come. They ate the forbidden fruit, became enlightened, and as foretold the process of dying began in them and in all their decedents.

This first garden was a garden of death. In it was born the curse of the grave and all the plagues of mind and body from which mankind has been unable to extricate himself even to this day.

The second garden was located in what was and still is the land of Israel. It was known as Gethsemane meaning “oil press” after the grove of olive trees that surrounded it.

In this garden was a rich man's tomb. It was a spacious room chiseled out of solid rock. A two-ton millstone-shaped rock would eventually block the entrance.

Yet this tomb was destined not to hold the remains of its owner, Joseph of Arimathea, but that of a poor Man, one who had “nowhere to lay His head.” His name was Jesus meaning “savior.”

Though this Man was an orthodox Jew, He was unsparing in His criticism and condemnation of the religious leaders of that day, the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

These prelates conspired to have Him brought before Pilate, the Roman governor, to be crucified. Pilate, though finding “no fault in this Man,” yet willing to please the mob that shouted for His death, consented; He would be crucified.

The Romans would have His body waste away on the cross. The Jews would have it in a criminal's grave. God would have it in a rich man's tomb. And so it would be. “He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,” (Isa. 53:9).

Joseph, willing to bear the shame of loyalty to a dead messiah, gave his place of repose to One having died the death of a criminal.

Shortly after Jesus' death “the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate. Sir, we remember that the deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day lest his disciples steal Him away and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead.

Pilate said unto them, “Ye have a watch [16 soldiers]: go your way, make it as sure as ye can,” (Matt. 27: 62-65).

The Roman watch was no match for an angel. “For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door” not to let someone out but to permit others to enter the empty tomb.

But Easter is more than something that happened two thousand years ago; it's happening now. The empty tomb will in God's time embrace all of mankind: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive,” (1 Cor. 15:22).

That's the Easter story. It is the resurrection that awaits all of Adam's children, an arousal made possible by that first Easter.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA

9/11 was launched from Afghanistan, and after a devious detour into Iraq, we finally got around to doing what we needed to do: routing Al Qaeda. Well, "Mission Accomplished". Unfortunately, the mission's been diverted to something else: nation building in Afghanistan, specifically degrading the Taliban. This is not as relevant to our national interest.

The Taliban ran one of the strictest dictatorships in history. It would take several pages to properly describe it, but two items can give you a clear enough idea. First, all music on the radio was banned. Even religious music! All one was permitted to hear were sermons. Second, their psychotic obsession for controlling women went so far as to cut the fingers off women who got caught wearing nail polish.

Life must have been suffocatingly unpleasant. But despite this, things were mostly quiet in Afghanistan. Taliban oppressors weren't being killed left and right, as they richly deserved. For the most part, the Afghan people accepted the crushing tyranny and did not care to even protest. In contrast, they've protested and killed us-- who are trying to help them-- more than they ever did to the Taliban. (And there was more outrage over an accidental burning of the Qu'ran than over the deliberate murder of 16 Afghan civilians!)

Well, if they don't care, neither should we. We should leave the Afghan people to the tender mercies of the Taliban. Their interests are purely national-- if we leave, they will not come here. Their only concern is that we go away and stop interfering with them.

Ten years is far too long for a quixotic effort at nation building, and the Afghan people are simply not worth our blood and treasure. They deserve the Taliban. So give it to them. It's what they'd prefer.

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Rushville, PA

I would like to praise and thank our veterans, those who are in our local VA Hospitals: Syracuse, Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia and others. Those who lost limbs or other serious injuries, purple heart or not recipients.

If you see an active veteran, buy him or her a breakfast, lunch or supper. Give them a hug, handshake or kiss. Wish them the best at Easter time and all of our holidays. Thank god for them and their sacrifice for our country. Your service was never in vain and always appreciated!

Sincerely,

Bruce Moorhead

Susquehanna, PA.