Westmoreland Laurels & Lances

Lance: To Fayette County Judge Gerald R. Solomon. His sentence for a former Fayette County man, who pleaded guilty to escape, resisting arrest and the assault of two probation officers, sends a disturbing message.

This was no first-time offender. The man escaped apprehension and remained at large for six months until he was arrested. In one episode, he attempted to grab an officer's gun at a crowded roadside market, according to a probation officer. Judge Solomon saw fit to sentence this offender to six to 23 months in prison, but to serve his time on Mondays through Thursdays. This, so he can operate his seasonal produce-distribution business on weekends.

Why the accommodation• We don't care if this guy is the produce king of the county. His disregard for the law merits the full consequences provided by law.

Laurel: To the state's Growing Greener program and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Some $2.2 million in state funds released by the DEP will be used to mitigate acid drainage from old, abandoned mines in Westmoreland County. It represents the largest allocation in the commonwealth. Groups that will benefit include the Westmoreland County Conservation District, Loyalhanna Watershed Association Inc. and Turtle Creek Watershed Inc.

On the Lance Watch List: Fayette County commissioners. Once again the county is sending prisoners to other jails because of the crunch at the county lockup — even though space for inmates was augmented recently with the opening of the brand-new $1 million-plus dormitory-style prison annex. The problem now is the growing number of female prisoners; nine are to be housed at other facilities outside the county at an average daily cost of $42 per inmate.

Has adequate space for female prisoners been figured into the county's prison planning, or will Fayette keep racking up bills by sending the overflow to other jails• Stay tuned.

Laurel: To plans that will pump $100,000 into Manor Community Park, hopefully within the next three years. Planned improvements at the five-acre park include additional playground equipment, a roller skating/skateboard rink and hockey area. The borough expects to put up about $20,000; the rest would come from various state grants, which will be sought with the assistance of the Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission.

Here's hoping Manor's park plan comes to full fruition. Given the public's demand for local parks, it's an investment in the community that should pay dividends.

Be Good Neighbors: Fort Ligonier Days kick off today and continue through the weekend. That means thousands upon thousands of western Pennsylvanians and tourists will descend on the small borough over the three-day event. Here's hoping all will enjoy what has become a grand fall tradition. But, please, don't block residents' driveways, don't trample private lawns, and don't set up chairs on homeowners' porches to watch Saturday's parade. When crowds congregate, as they will this weekend in Ligonier, a little common courtesy goes a long way.