Laurels & lances: Corn, community and stepping up
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Laurel: To kernels of kindness. The area has been dealing with increased food insecurity in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic for more than a year. Food banks have been hit hard, and donations are always welcome.
But a special kind of donation required additional hands Wednesday when 30 volunteers gathered in Sewickley Township at the farm of brothers John and Sam Greenawalt.
They grow corn, and they had a lot available — so much that they donated surplus to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. They just needed extra hands to help pick it.
In the end, more than 6,400 pounds of sweet corn were picked and loaded into 10 large bins. The 500 dozen ears were trucked to the Delmont food bank and will be distributed through affiliated food pantries or the Grab and Go Fresh Express program.
Lance: To a lack of participation. People often decry elected officials as being out of touch, but it’s just as important for the people to step up to fill needs when they arise.
East Vandergrift has seen that in the wake of a loss.
Councilwoman Bonita Bober died unexpectedly July 9. The borough needs someone to step into her seat on the council, but as of Aug. 21, no one had applied to take on the job.
“My mom liked to be involved with the community,” said her daughter Kimberly Bober, also of East Vandergrift.
That is the kind of person the borough needs — the kind every municipality needs. A community doesn’t just happen. It takes involvement to turn a bunch of houses into a hometown.
Laurel: To doing what’s necessary. There are some people who don’t blink when the need arises to get involved. Joseph Twigger of Hempfield is one of those people.
The former Marine and retired state unemployment worker was in the Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital emergency room when he saw a county jail inmate attempt to grab a sheriff deputy’s gun.
“I just saw someone in trouble and attempted to help,” said Twigger, who retired as a state unemployment office worker.
Deputy Edward Fink and Twigger both told the inmate to let go of the weapon. Twigger, who served in the Marines, grabbed the man’s left arm and “twisted it over his head until he let go.”
Ultimately, it took four people to get the inmate properly restrained.