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Diamonds to nearby national parks and historic sites. Yosemite and the Grand Canyon get the glory. But don’t overlook the gems in and near Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Scranton’s Steamtown National Historic Site. Its admission fee will be waived through Sunday, as part of a National Parks Week promotion, granting visitors free access to Steamtown’s history and technology museums as well as railroad roundhouse. This year marks the National Park Service’s centennial. Visit its website, at nps.gov, for information on special events and Pennsylvania-based attractions such as Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Gettysburg National Military Park.

Coal to adults feuding over a school resource officer’s duties at Wyoming Valley West High School in Plymouth. The borough’s mayor apparently doesn’t agree with the school district’s use of the officer, so the police department reportedly stopped consistently assigning a cop to be on school grounds. The risks on school campuses, from drug use and gang recruitment to gun violence, are all too real. Whether this dispute stems from petty politics or something else, there needs to be a quick resolution. Until then, safety suffers.

Diamonds to Luzerne County employees who intend to learn some Spanish. About 20 workers signed up for newly offered classes, which began this week. The lessons – provided through the Hazleton Integration Project, with federal funding – won’t make the participants fluent but better able to communicate with certain members of the region’s Latino population. That’s a common-sense response to national and local demographic trends.

Coal to Ideal Conceal, the Minnesota-based creator of a pistol designed to look like a smartphone. Federal law already forbids guns disguised as gadgets such as cigarette lighters, umbrellas and canes. Do lawmakers really need to add each new iPhone iteration to the mix? What’s next, a bullet-firing car key fob? A cereal box shielding an Uzi? U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, told reporters this week, “I am going to do everything in my power … to stop this weapon, which will cause more violence and more death.” The company should voluntarily scrap its plan to produce the guns later this year, or risk appearing callous to modern-day terrorism threats and the carnage on America’s streets due to shootings.

Diamonds to state Rep. Aaron Kaufer’s blunt assessment of party politics. Addressing a youthful audience at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre this week, Kaufer, 27, the state’s youngest legislator, said, “The two-party system lends itself to special interest groups and inefficient use of funds.” Consider his words food for thought as voters prepare for Pennsylvania’s closed primaries on Tuesday.

Get an up-close view of steam-powered locomotives at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, one of the region’s National Park Service attractions. The Park Service is marking its centennial as a keeper of the nation’s grand landscapes and history.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_Railfest_3.jpg.optimal.jpgGet an up-close view of steam-powered locomotives at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, one of the region’s National Park Service attractions. The Park Service is marking its centennial as a keeper of the nation’s grand landscapes and history.