Lance: To digging into trouble. A contractor at a housing development in Unity Township forced an evacuation of residents after striking a 2-inch gas main. This time, at least, nothing blew up. But the frequency of these incidents, in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties, is disconcerting to say the least. Either the lines are properly marked or they're not; it shouldn't be a matter of guesswork. And contractors -- and their subcontractors -- must abide by safety regulations. Residents shouldn't have to worry for their safety whenever a work crew shows up with a backhoe. Laurel: To John P. Vucina. The Waterford resident has begun his ninth season as "Ranger One" at Linn Run State Park. And if that's not enough to keep the Latrobe Steel retiree busy, he's also a volunteer firefighter with his community's department. Did we mention that Mr. Vucina is 81• He says working is "what's natural." What an inspiration to everyone. Lance: To lowly thievery. It's bad enough that thieves in Harrison City took cans -- enough to fill two truckloads -- that a local Boy Scout troop was recycling to help pay for summer camp, according to police. But the miscreants took the cans on at least two occasions from a local church. And what worthy cause did these "Boy Scouts" support with their newfound cash• How pathetic. Laurel: To Scott Brownfield. The South Union Township resident came up with a novel idea for his high school project: a tribute for Fayette County's lone Vietnam veteran listed as missing in action 40 years ago. Working with the family of Samuel D. Shimek and local veterans, Mr. Brownfield, 18, raised $5,000 for a fitting tribute at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial near Hopwood. It's a fine gesture organized by a young man who recognizes that liberty comes at a steep price. An observation: Philadelphia officials are looking into raising by 1 percentage point the city's 14 percent hotel room tax. That's typically what happens to these types of levies. And oftentimes hotel guests don't realize the fleecing until check-out time. Tourists resent getting hornswoggled. Which is precisely the crux of our criticism of local hotel taxes and similar levies, which invariably increase . Nothing like biting the hands that feed, eh? Best wishes: To the Pittsburgh Penguins. They begin their drive for a third Stanley Cup Saturday in Detroit against the Red Wings. It's being called "the perfect matchup for hockey lovers" -- two dominating teams featuring three of the NHL's top six regular-season scorers. It doesn't get much better than this. Let's go Pens! And, of course, HEY!

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