Evans City's inaugural Living Dead Fest last year attracted more than 300 people to EDCO Park to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the cult-classic horror film "Night of the Living Dead," which was filmed in and near the borough. For a first-ever effort organized in a short period of time, that initial turnout was a success.

That organizers of the 2008 event intend to produce a similar two-day festival this year and beyond should be embraced by the community and, indeed, all of Butler County.

Such an event has the ability to be a great tourist attraction and economic boost, although it might take a few more years for it to reach that potential.

It's important for the festival to have the borough government's full support, and the festival received the verbal support it sought at a meeting on Monday.

This year's Living Dead Fest will be held Oct. 30 and 31.

Meanwhile, Gary Streiner, one of the two founders of the inaugural event, said organizers hope to attract thousands of people to Butler County for the film's 45th anniversary in 2013.

That will take a lot of promotion, but the film has many thousands of fans across the nation, many of whom would be excited about the prospect of traveling to the place where the film was made and possibly meeting and getting autographs from some of the movie's actors.

Streiner was accurate in noting that "the movie being filmed here is quite a bragging right."

At the time of its filming, few people envisioned that the low-budget venture would achieve the strong following it has had for 41 years. Many people have said they've watched the film more than one or two times.

Evans City and Butler County should promote themselves in any positive way possible. And, in this instance, invoking the help of the "living dead" is acceptable.

Sewage issues surrounding the Golden L Mobile Home Park that have been an ignition point for ongoing controversy on the Connoquenessing Township Board of Supervisors aren't resolved yet. But a township resident who gave her name only as Sally merits praise for getting the supervisors on what hopefully will be a productive path toward finally putting the issues to rest.The woman rightly criticized the supervisors at a meeting Wednesday for "ridiculous" treatment of the mobile home park, rather than making a genuine effort to resolve the issues.Her criticism of the supervisors came in response to a shouting match involving Supervisor Jack Kaltenbaugh and Justin Herp, Golden L manager, and Chairwoman Evelyn Hockenberry's attempt to adjourn the meeting rather than restore order and begin what hopefully would have been a productive discussion.After the woman's reprimand, a productive dialogue did begin. In addition, there were apologies from those who had lost their tempers not only Wednesday but also at prior supervisors meetings.It's clear that mistakes were made both by Golden L and the supervisors board in the past — mistakes that prevented a quick resolution of the sewage problems that have caused the township to seek more than $262,000 from the park. However, the fact that errors were made should not preclude finally settling the issues.The mood prior to Sally's criticism would have prevented any progress whatsoever and would have helped the dispute continue indefinitely.People who serve as elected officials have an obligation to maturely and professionally address issues, whether they be difficult or easy. Shouting matches and rude treatment of constituents should not be tolerated.It's time for the issues involving Golden L to be resolved. It's time for the supervisors to commit to mature and professional conduct.There should be more people like Sally attending municipal government meetings.

There was nothing good about the Pennsylvania General Assembly's July 2005 sneaky, middle-of-the-night pay-raise vote, and state taxpayers responded with enough outrage to prompt its repeal.With that in mind, Rep. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe, should be careful about characterizing it in any way that makes it seem more positive than something else.During the past week, while criticizing House Democrats who accepted their paychecks immediately upon passing what has become a partial 2009-10 budget, said, "They're paying themselves when we have all these valuable state services that aren't being funded (in Gov. Ed Rendell's partial budget). I think what they're (Democrats) doing is even worse than the 2005 pay-raise vote."While the state's budget debacle is seriously wrong, under no circumstances should the 2005 vote be cast in any less of a negative description than it really deserves. It was a major low point of state government and lawmakers' regard for the taxpayers of the commonwealth, and the action eventually resulted in ending a number of long legislative careers.Former Senate President Pro Tempore Robert C. Jubelirer of Altoona was one of the most powerful officeholders voted out as a result of the pay-raise vote.If Scavello ever again decides to bring up the 2005 vote, he should do so without minimizing its negativity.There was nothing good about the scandalous 2005 pay-raise action, and there is nothing good about the ongoing budget stalemate that has resulted in only a skeleton budget more than a month after a complete budget package was, by constitutional mandate, required to be in place.<B><I> — J.R.K.</B></I>