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Diamonds to the Northmoreland Baptist Church in Wyoming County for the new Centershot archery program, combining faith, family and fun into a single weekly gathering. In the post-Hunger Games era, enticing youngsters with bows makes sense. And it clearly worked, whether those attending knew of the fictional Katniss Everdeen, or fancied themselves more in the mold of legendary Robin Hood. As many as 56 people have come to draw back a bowstring, and age has been no barrier. “It’s great fun, and I absolutely love that it’s for the whole family,” Jodie Weskerger said after bringing her daughter, Lily, 9, to fire some arrows. Any time a family can share in a single activity is good time, and this certainly seems to qualify. For more info, visit nmbaptist.com.
Coal to the state legislature for the law that restricted smoking in public places, particularly bars and eateries. Known as the Clean Indoor Air Act, the 2008 legislation clearly and understandably tried to compromise between those who want to eat and drink without inhaling other people’s smoke and those who want to light up. But as a story by Jen Learn Andes showed, the compromise, as is so often the case, satisfies few. Business owners see a playing field that is not level, primarily because smoking exceptions to the law can be granted based on food sales. Some restaurants may meet the requirement and get an exception, while others don’t hit the food sales benchmark and can’t apply for an exception. It may be time for Harrisburg to revisit the law.
Diamonds to the area’s thriving live theater scene. In recent weeks, you could watch Charlie Brown cope with childhood angst in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at Wilkes University, see Prospero restore his lost title with the help of the spirit Ariel in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” feast on the history-making musical “Oklahoma!” at Swoyersville’s Music Box Theatre, delve into the complexities of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, watch teenagers grapple with their sexuality in the rock musical “Spring Awakening” at the Pennsylvania Theatre of the Performing Arts in Hazleton, or just enjoy the humor of “Legally Blonde, The Musical” at Nuangola’s Grove Center and Theatre. So many shows, so little time!
Coal to Pennsylvania’s failure to address the issue of lead in school drinking water. The Keystone State received an “F” in a report from PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, and the reasons are bleak. The state has no required testing of school drinking water, no limits on allowable lead levels, and no plan to update water supply infrastructure to get lead out of school pipes. A diamond within this coal to Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, for pushing (yet again) his proposal for a task force to study the scope of the problem and propose legislative solutions. This is an issue that should have been tackled years ago.