Some people might say it’s hard to criticize the sentence handed down to former state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin for misusing her judicial staff and that of her sister, former state Sen. Jane Orie, to campaign for her in 2003 and 2009.

Orie Melvin was convicted on six counts, including three felonies.

But in the eyes of many law-abiding Pennsylvania residents, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Lester Nauhaus erred in not ordering Orie Melvin to serve at least a brief period of incarceration in addition to the otherwise acceptable sentence that he meted out to the once-respected high court justice.

Beyond three years of house arrest followed by two years of probation, it’s a sentence that carries with it abundant humiliation — which Orie Melvin earned by, as Nauhaus said, bringing shame to the judiciary.

Orie Melvin was required to pose before the county photographer, in handcuffs. She must write notes of apology on the photograph and send one to each of the 500 judges in the state.

“I have always believed prison is for dangerous people,” Nauhaus said. “I also believe putting you in prison is going to cost the taxpayers a fortune.”

Still, a token prison sentence — perhaps of six months’ duration — would have delivered the kind of tougher message that was warranted in Orie Melvin’s situation.

Allegheny County Assistant District Attorney Lawrence Claus was correct in describing Orie Melvin’s crimes a “perversion of a court office.”

Nauhaus delivered laudable service to the citizens of the commonwealth in fashioning “creative” punishment for Orie Melvin that also requires serv-ice three days a week at a soup kitchen and payment of $55,000 in fines and court costs.

But the scope of Orie Melvin’s violations of the public trust should have required time behind bars as well.

In the end, she got an undeserved break.

Cheer Some communities in Connecticut get the credit for launching the program, but the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation merits praise for initiating what’s being called the Yellow Dot program in this state.It’s a free, voluntary program that undoubtedly will save many lives.The program assists people in what’s termed the “golden hour” of emergency care following a traffic accident — a time when they might not be able to communicate their needs themselves.Placing one of the program’s yellow dots in a vehicle’s rear window alerts first responders to check the vehicle’s glove compartment for vital information to ensure that the vehicle’s occupant or occupants receive the medical attention they need.According to the publication AAA Motorist (Western Pennsylvania), participants fill out the program form with their emergency contact, medical contact and medical information, insert it in the program’s folder and then place it in their vehicle’s glove compartment.The program’s special yellow dot decal, which is placed no higher than three inches from the bottom of the rear window, alerts emergency responders to check the vehicle’s glove compartment for the folder.That helps responders provide specific care to participants after an accident.“When someone is in a crash or they find themselves in an emergency situation, it’s critical that emergency responders quickly find out as much as they can about the victim,” said Gov. Tom Corbett.Those communities in Connecticut deserve abundant plaudits for planting the seed for a valuable program that all 50 states should adopt.

Cheer Preston Park has long been a logical addition to the National Register of Historic Places. Now it has achieved that distinction, thanks to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in partnership with the National Park Service.On May 1, Butler Township officials unveiled a plaque designating the 88-acre Preston Park as Butler County’s 11th representative on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register is a listing of properties deemed significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture.The park property, which formerly was owned and used by glass scientist and conservationist Frank W. Preston, is a combination of science and nature.Frank Preston founded American Glass Research — AGR — in Butler Township. He donated the property to the township in 2008 for use as a park.Today, in addition to the buildings and history, the property also is signficant for its plants and more than half-dozen “Pennsylvania Trophy Trees,” identified that way because they all are the tallest of their species in the state.The plaque designating the honor says “Preston Laboratories Circa 1937 has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.”“I intend to have the best looking place in the industry not in the buildings but by the surroundings,” Frank Preston’s typed autobiography from 1936 says. Now many people will have the opportunity to enjoy what Preston loved.