Laurel: To really giving back. For Trafford Borough Council President Kris Cardiff, the idea of giving back to the community is more than lip service. He is actually returning his $600 a year in pay for being a public official.

It’s something he says he has been doing for a while — returning it to the general fund. Now, however, he is using it to create a matching facade grant to help improve the look of the downtown.

“I’d really like to see Trafford come back. This could snowball eventually,” he said.

It would be great to see more downtown businesses spruced up, but it would also be nice to see more civic leaders putting their money where the need is.

Lance: To the sad consequences of mental illness. A mother and daughter, Delores and Sarah Amorino, pleaded guilty this week to the assault of their mother and grandmother. It was a terrible story of an older woman beaten, choked, shaved and imprisoned for two days, after a fight over the volume of 2017 Steelers game on the radio.

The two women have a rare mental health condition that involves shared delusions. If there is a bright spot in the sad tale, it is the fact that Sarah Amorino, just 17 at the time of the attack, has been transferred to a facility for treatment — something her family supports.

“I just want my mother to be safe, for my sister and niece to get the help they need,” Michael Amorino said in court.

Laurel: To special deliveries. Hey, Santa’s not the only one dropping off presents. Sometimes a Pittsburgh Steeler has to make a completion, too.

Cornerback Joe Haden didn’t fumble when he handed over Super Bowl tickets to Cornell High School football coach Ed Dawson courtesy of the NFL Super Bowl Ticket Giveaway Program.

Super Bowl LIV kicks off in Miami on Feb. 2. Having Haden and the rest of the team on the field would be a long shot but a great late Christmas present. Santa? You listening?

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