Praise is in order to all who came forward to provide the $5,000 needed for the fireworks display at this year's Regatta at Lake Arthur.

The regatta is scheduled for Aug. 5 and 6.

For weeks, regatta organizers had feared that the fireworks would have to be eliminated from the event's agenda due to lack of funds.

That pending decision was made public, and fortunately it didn't take long for the generosity on behalf of providing the fireworks to move to the forefront.

Initially, officials announced that enough money had been collected — $3,500 — for a scaled-back display. The latest word is that a display on par with what was presented in the past will be presented this time.

The generosity of those who are providing the money should be properly acknowledged by the regatta organizing committee. Each year the regatta should get better, not require cutbacks.

The regatta is free, but Boy Scouts will collect $1 donations from those willing to contribute. In addition to the fireworks, the regatta will include features such as a hot-air balloon launch, Whatever Floats Your Boat race, dead fish polo, live entertainment and a car cruise.

It will be an event for all ages.

The support that emerged for making the fireworks possible demonstrated recognition of what the regatta means to the county's tourism efforts.

It is to be hoped that next year's regatta will not be faced with a repeat of the virtually last-minute financial challenge.

Gov. Ed Rendell and the General Assembly were right in giving a vote of encouragement to the state's libraries by allocating an all-time-record $75.5 million in the 2006-07 commonwealth budget. The new allocation will help libraries further recover from the major curtailment in library funding that occurred for the 2003-04 fiscal year.That year, the amount allotted to the state's libraries was slashed to $47.4 million from the previous record amount of $75.3 million. The funding cutback forced many libraries — including libraries in Butler County — to scale back hours of operation and other services.The amount the libraries will receive under the new state spending plan will help the libraries restore some of what was lost as a result of the 2003-04 funding cutback, to upgrade some library equipment, as well as to make purchases, such as possibly buying new computers for library patrons' research.In last year's budget, library funding totaled $61.3 million.Every state budget contains questionable spending, but the amount going to the libraries this fiscal year is reasonable, considering the benefits it will provide to schoolchildren and adult patrons alike.The libraries should strive to ensure that every dollar is spent wisely and should submit a report to their legislative representatives in the coming months on how this year's allocation is being spent.

Arthur Haag of Meridian, who was elected by the Butler School Board Thursday to fill the unexpired term of Cindy Davis, who resigned in June, hopefully will be considerate of the financial circumstances of other district residents when he votes on financial issues.During his interview Wednesday, Haag expressed no concern about the district's 4.5-mill tax increase for the 2006-07 fiscal year or about the fact that the school district's property owners are experiencing their eighth consecutive tax increase.The last fiscal year without a tax hike was 1998-99, when the property tax millage rate remained unchanged from the 83.5-mill rate of 1997-98.The property tax for 2006-07 is 111.5 mills.Haag also said during his interview that he didn't think that the $75,000 top pay for teachers in the current contract was too high, implying that he wouldn't be a voice for salary restraint if he were still on the board when the next teachers contract is negotiated.During the coming year, new contracts for top administrators will be coming up for a vote.In expressing his opinion about the latest tax increase, Haag said he came from Allegheny County, where taxes are high. He said money has to be spent in order to have a quality school district.That is true. However, tough scrutiny regarding spending issues is necessary nonetheless.Many Butler School District residents cannot afford tax increases year after year, and other members of the board, as well as Haag, should acknowledge that.