Cheer

It might seem strange to cheer the shrinking of local government, but the reduction of Eau Claire’s borough council from seven members to five — a process that will take a period of years — is undoubtedly a good and necessary thing.

A petition for the change, circulated by council President Jack Buzard and supported by Buzard and fellow council member Gus Thompson, was approved by President Judge Thomas Doerr on Monday.

In a perfect world, there would be no need for this action. But the bottom line is that there simply hasn’t been enough public interest to ensure the borough’s government works the way it’s supposed to.

Eau Claire currently has five elected council members, two appointed members, and a problem getting the four person quorum at meetings it needs to make decisions.

Pennsylvania has more local governments than nearly any other state in the nation. That’s both a blessing and a responsibility.

Eau Claire officials deserve credit for taking action to ensure their citizens have a government that can function properly.

Jeer

Sue Stenhouse should know better.

Stenhouse, the director of senior services in Cranston, R.I., wanted to include an elderly woman in a photo op about a snow shoveling program, but decided it was too cold outside to include an actual senior. So she had a middle-aged male bus driver dress up in a wig, earrings, lipstick and a dress.

The driver in drag stood next to the mayor of Cranston at a news conference touting the program and wore a hand-lettered name tag that read “Cranston Senior Home Resident.”

A television news crew uncovered the deception a few days later.

Stenhouse resigned. An aide for Mayor Allan Fung declined to explain, saying it was a personnel matter.

As a former public relations director for a two-term Rhode Island governor, Stenhouse should know that the media — and her boss — base their reputation on truth and accuracy.

But we must admit, the bus driver did make a cute old lady.

Cheer

Knoch junior Jordan Geist is now in the record books, after turning in the longest shot put throw in the country this season. But don’t think for a second he’s reached his goal.

Geist set a national high school indoor record in the shot put last weekend, with a heave that traveled 69 feet, 6 1/2 inches. The throw broke the state record of 68-11 1/4, which had stood for more than a decade, and won the event — held at Slippery Rock University, where Geist’s parents were All-American college athletes — by more than 15 feet.

It’s safe to say Geist, who also carries a 4.1 grade point average and has set his sights on becoming an Olympic athlete, is in a class all by himself.

Geist’s mother and coach, Judy, says her son is the most focused student-athlete she’s ever seen. With his eyes on such high goals, we expect to enjoy hearing about Jordan’s success for years to come.